South Korean baseball league surpasses 10 million fans in record time
The KBO reached the milestone in 565 games, setting a new league record for attendance speed.
Quick Look
- The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) reached 10 million cumulative fans for the 2026 season in a record 565 games.
- The league is currently averaging 17,742 fans per game and remains on track to surpass last year's record total of 12.3 million.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The KBO set a single-season attendance record of 12.3 million fans in 2025. This is the third consecutive season the league has exceeded 10 million in total attendance.
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball league surpassed 10 million fans in record-breaking fashion Wednesday.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said the total attendance for the 2026 season reached 10,024,140 fans after five games played Wednesday drew a combined 73,816. The league topped 10 million in 565 games, beating the previous record of 587 games in 2025.
Through Wednesday, the KBO teams are averaging 17,742 fans per game, up from 16,980 fans from the same point last season.
The KBO set a single-season record with just over 12.3 million fans last year, and it remains on pace to break that mark this year.
So far this season, the KBO has cleared every million milestone in record time.
Four of the league's 10 clubs have drawn over 1 million fans so far this year, led by the LG Twins with about 1.3 million. Two more clubs, the SSG Landers with 999,853 and the Kia Tigers with 993,484, are on the verge of joining them. The Hanwha Eagles are not far behind with 935,720.
Last year, a record seven teams finished with more than 1 million fans each.
Through Wednesday, there have been 277 sellouts, and the single-season record of 331, set last year, is in jeopardy. The regular season is scheduled to end Oct. 7.
This is the third straight season in which the KBO drew over 10 million fans. In 2024, the league had about 10.8 million fans.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The KBO will likely break the 12.3 million single-season attendance record.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the league break the 12.3 million single-season record?
