The KBO League is poised to set a record for the highest attendance in a single season. As of the 4th, the KBO League has welcomed 10,849,054 spectators over 632 games, leaving 38,651 spectators below the previous record of 10,887,705 set in the 2024 season. Starting with a total of 1,438,768 spectators in its inaugural season in 1982, the KBO League has now grown into a professional sports league that surpasses 10 million attendees for the second consecutive year.
As of the 4th, the average attendance is 17,166, which is an increase of about 16% compared to the same number of games last year. The overall seating occupancy rate stands at 83.2%. Additionally, 294 out of the 632 total games, representing 46.5%, were sold out.
The KBO conducted a survey to gauge the heated interest of fans, which has been the driving force behind achieving the highest attendance record, and analyzed the results internally.
▲ Shortening game times through the implementation of ABS, expanding video review subjects, and applying pitch clocks for fairness improvement
The KBO League introduced the ABS system for the first time in the 2024 season. A survey conducted last year revealed that 88.7% of respondents viewed the introduction of ABS positively for league operations, indicating that fans place significant value on fairness. Among respondents who noted that the new game system increased their frequency of attendance, 32.9% cited improved game concentration and immersion, while 28.9% pointed to 'enhanced fairness', totaling over 60%. In addition to implementing ABS, the KBO is making greater efforts to enhance fairness by introducing check swing video reviews in the second half of this season.
The accelerated game time has also increased fan satisfaction. As of the 4th, the 2025 KBO League has an average game time of 3 hours and 2 minutes based on regular innings. This is an 8-minute reduction compared to 3 hours and 10 minutes in the 2024 season. Among respondents who stated that their frequency of attendance has increased due to the new game system, 21.1% this year attributed the increased frequency to shorter game times, compared to 12.2% last year during the preliminary implementation of the pitch clock.
▲ Increased attendance frequency due to active cheering/drinking culture content and the rise of new stadiums
Among survey respondents, 32.9% of existing attendees (those who have attended games since before the COVID-19 pandemic) reported an increase in their frequency of attending baseball games compared to last year. The top cited reason for attending more frequently was that 'the cheering culture is fun' (47.7%), surpassing the response rate for 'team performance' (38.3%).
Among new attendees (those who started attending after the COVID-19 pandemic), 67.7% stated that they visited the baseball stadium for the first time regardless of their interest in baseball. Their reasons for visiting included that 'the cheering culture seems fun' (33.8%) and 'I want to experience food culture like chicken and beer' (19.9%). This indicates that the active cheering/drinking culture content has prompted these individuals to start attending. The responses suggest that KBO League fans view visits to the baseball stadium as opportunities to enjoy leisure content.
Additionally, the improved viewing environment has contributed to the increase in KBO League attendance. Most stadiums, including the newly opened Daejeon Stadium for the 2025 season, have opened after 2014, with new stadium constructions planned for Jamsil, Sajik, and Cheongna. It is expected that the viewing environment for fans will further improve in convenience and fan-friendliness.
As satisfaction with the viewing experience and environment improves, 90% of existing attendees and 82% of new attendees expressed their desire to revisit in the future. Following last year, the trend of increased intent to attend among new attendees and additional inflows signals positive growth for the KBO League.
Additionally, a significant finding is that the most memorable experience for first-time visitors to the stadium was the 'cheering culture' (35.8%), followed by 'the game itself' (24.9%). This indicates that a high proportion of new attendees are not only interested in off-field aspects but also in the baseball games themselves.
▲ Value-for-money cultural activities
As of the 4th, the KBO League's average expenditure per spectator (average spending on admission tickets) is 16,715 won. According to statistics from the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) in July, the average prices for a bowl of samgyetang and 200g of pork belly in Seoul were found to be 17,923 won and 20,639 won, respectively. Overall, in a situation where leisure activity expenses are rising, the baseball stadium is emerging as a venue for new value-for-money consumption, allowing fans to enjoy three hours of baseball watching alongside various food and cheering. Notably, among those who responded that their KBO League attendance frequency has increased, 20.5% said, 'The cost of watching baseball is reasonable compared to other recreational activities.'
▲ Launch of diverse collaborative products
The KBO and the 10 teams are reaching out to fans in their daily lives by collaborating with various companies not only in the baseball industry but also in diverse sectors to launch products and programs.
The KBO collaborated with 'Musinsa', which is popular among younger generations, to launch collaboration products including team-specific uniforms, hats, general apparel, and accessories. While previous product collaborations were mostly limited to items directly related to baseball, this year they have collaborated with lifestyle and cultural content that can be used by all ages, such as CGV, CASETiFY, and Odense, providing fans with opportunities to engage with baseball content in various ways in their daily lives.
Additionally, the 10 teams are continuously releasing a variety of products that can appeal to all ages by collaborating with popular animated characters, amusement parks, and food and beverage companies, receiving positive responses from fans.
▲ Establishing a 'play culture' through the use of game footage and self-produced content
The KBO is producing various video content through platforms like YouTube and Instagram to showcase different aspects of the KBO League to fans.
As of August 2025, the KBO's official YouTube channel has 376,000 subscribers, marking an 11.7% increase compared to the previous year. Content such as 'KBO Moments' and live coverage of the Futures League, along with original self-produced content, is garnering an average of about 600,000 views per day. Notably, 'KBO Live', which debuted this season, meets live with fans weekly to discuss various issues and policies related to the KBO League. The audience demographic for the KBO official YouTube channel is predominantly 25-34 years old, with that age group comprising 23.8% of the total. The age group with the highest increase in viewership compared to last year is those aged 55 and older, showing a 3.3% increase and indicating growth in middle-aged viewership as well.
The KBO's official Instagram account boasts 591,000 followers (up 12.5% from last year) and averages about 6 million views per day through intuitive content like short-form videos, rankings, and game results. The main user age group is between 18 and 34, with balanced consumption evident across all ages from teens to older adults. The gender ratio is relatively balanced at 54% male and 46% female. The KBO is expanding its digital presence not only through YouTube and Instagram but also by extending into new platforms like TikTok to enhance communication across generations.
Having signed rights agreements for both wired and wireless broadcasts last year, the KBO has allowed fans to create online video content utilizing game footage. This has led many fans to produce and share their content online, establishing a 'play culture' around baseball, which has significantly impacted the increase in KBO League fans, particularly among those in their 20s and 30s. In this survey, more than half of first-time KBO League attendees reported encountering baseball-related content via YouTube, with younger audiences primarily engaging through social media and older audiences through YouTube.
▲ Increased viewer numbers on TV and wired/wireless platforms
The expansion of KBO League fans can also be seen in the increase in television ratings and user numbers on wired and wireless platforms. As of August 2025, the average combined viewership rating for the KBO League is 1.17%, a rise of about 9% compared to 1.07% during the same period last year. Additionally, the average combined viewer count per game is 276,019, up about 22% from the same period last year. The cumulative viewership reached 1,703,053,524, an impressive increase of about 23% compared to the previous year.
Viewership metrics for wired and wireless platforms (TVING) have also surged significantly. The KBO League's unique viewer (UV) count, excluding duplicate connections, increased by approximately 45% compared to the same period last year by August 31, 2025.
▲ Increased ticket purchase ratios among women and teenage fans
According to statistics from the ticket reservation site Ticketlink, as of August, the gender ratio among online KBO League ticket purchasers in 2025 was 42.5% male and 57.5% female. This reflects an increase of about 6% compared to the 51.4% female purchaser rate in the 2023 season, indicating a rise in the proportion of female fans visiting the stadium. Notably, among ticket purchasers aged 20 to 30, who make up about 60% of all purchasers, the female ratio increased from 60.2% in the 2023 season to 63.6% in the 2025 season for those in their 20s and from 54.1% to 56.9% for those in their 30s, highlighting the increase in baseball viewing among young women.
Additionally, the increase in ticket purchase ratios among teenage fans is noteworthy. The proportion of teenage purchasers, which was below 3% in the 2023 season, increased to 4.4% in the 2024 season and reached 4.5% in the 2025 season. This suggests that teens, who spend considerable time online via social media and shorts, have developed a greater interest in baseball after encountering various baseball-related content. The growing interest of younger fans in the KBO League is encouraging signs of continued fan engagement.
Meanwhile, following the achievement of the highest attendance record in history, the KBO League is nearing a significant milestone of 200 million cumulative spectators in the regular season, just about 310,000 spectators away.
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