'It's finally today' KBO League's new history is born -16,552 people. More than 8.4 million people will shoot the highest number of spectators ever
Aug 18, 2024
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August 18, 2024. A new history of the KBO League will be born. It is the day when the record for the largest number of spectators in professional baseball history is set.
The highest number of spectators in the KBO League history was 8.4 million,688, which was recorded in 2017. This year, the first time in seven years, it will break that record. It will surpass 8.4 million people in 573 games, 147 games earlier, setting a new record.
On the 17th, three venues were sold out in five stadiums, with a total of 103,826 spectators visiting, recording a total of 8,384,137 spectators this season. It was only 16,551 people short of the record high of 8.4 million,688.
A new record is likely to be achieved on the 18th. The match between Jamsil KIA Tigers and LG Twins, which had been sold out for two consecutive days, is expected to be sold out on the 18th. There may be fewer spectators than Saturday's game because it is a Sunday game, but if the game is held normally, it can be said that it is a given.
In the meantime, the 2024 KBO League has been rapidly attracting spectators, beating all-time spectator records one by one since July. On July 14, it reached 6.48 million, surpassing the 10th-ranked 6.44 million recorded in 2013, and three days later, on July 17, it reached 6.54 million in 451 games, exceeding 6.5 million in 2014, the most watched nine-team system.
On July 28, when 492 games were played, it exceeded 7.17 million, breaking the record of 7.15 million spectators in 2012 under the eight-team system. At that time, it was a record collected during 532 games, but this year, it exceeded 492 games, showing off its fast crowd mobilization this season.
On August 1, when 15 more games were played, it easily surpassed 7.42 million, the fifth-largest and first-ever season of 7 million, in 2015, and surpassed 8.1 million in 553 games on the 14th, beating the 8.07 million in 2018 and last year's 8.1 million, the third-place record.
And on the 17th, the second-highest record in history was 8.33 million in 2016, and 8.4 million, the first-place record, was just around the corner.
From the 18th, a new record march will continue every day. If the current trend continues, it is expected that 10 million dreams will become a reality, exceeding 9 million for the first time in history.
Initially, the number of spectators was expected to decrease from July and August, when the traditional off-season begins, but the explosion of spectators did not cover the rainy season and the heat. The average number of spectators in June was 15,236 and decreased to 14,832 in July, showing no significant difference from 14,882 in May. Even though there were cases of playing in the rain due to the rainy season, there was no significant decrease in spectators. And in August, when the heat wave hit, the number of spectators increased. Until the 17th, a total of 1,046,213 and 15,851 were recorded in 66 games, more than in June.
It is a renaissance in the KBO League. How far will the peak of this immense popularity go. It is the 2024 season where fans cannot help but be surprised by the love of baseball.
◇KBO League's all-time spectator ranking (as of the 17th)
1st place =2017 =720 Gyeonggi = 8,400,688 = 11,668 = 10 teams Most spectators
★2024 =568 Gyeonggi = 8,384,137 people =14,761 people (August 17)
2nd place =2016 =720 Gyeonggi = 8,339,577 people = 11,583 people
3rd place = 2023 = 720 Gyeonggi = 8,100,326 people = 11,250 people
4th place = 2018 =720 Gyeonggi = 8,073,742 people = 11,214 people
5th place =2015 =720 Gyeonggi = 7,360,530 people = 10,223 people
6th place = 2019 =720 Gyeonggi = 7,286,008 people = 10,119 people
7th place =2012 = 532 games = 7,156,157 = 13,451 = 8 teams' highest attendance
8th place =2011 =532 Gyeonggi-do = 6,810,028 people = 12,801 people
9th place =2014 =576 games = 6,509,915 = 11,302 = 9 team system most spectators
10th place =2013 =576 Gyeonggi-do = 6,441,945 = 11,184
◇ Monthly spectators in the KBO League for the 2024 season (as of the 17th)
Monthly = Number of games = Total attendance = Average attendance
March-April = 158 games = 2,179,110 people = 13,792 people
May = 122 Gyeonggi-do = 1,815,569 people = 14,882 people
June = 125 games = 1,904,507 people = 15,236 people
July =97 Gyeonggi = 1,438,738 people = 14,832 people
August =66 Gyeonggi = 1,046,213 people = 15,851 people
=568 Gyeonggi Province = 7,988,527 people = 14,761 people
indyk@sportschosun.com
