KBO surpasses 11 million fans at record pace, closing in on attendance mark

The Korean baseball league topped 11 million fans in record-setting fashion Saturday as it kept marching toward its single-season record.

The KBO said the total attendance for the 2026 season reached 11,049,504 fans, after the four games on Saturday drew a combined 80,942.

The league topped 11 million in 626 games, beating the previous record of 643 games in 2025.

The KBO set an all-time record with just over 12.3 million fans last year and remains on pace to top that number this year with about a month left in the regular season.

Through Saturday, teams are averaging 17,651 fans per game, compared to 17,007 at the same point in 2025.

The KBO has cleared every million milestone in record time.

Two of the four games Saturday were sold out, raising the season total to 298. The single-season record of 331 sellouts, set in 2025, is within striking distance.

The Samsung Lions are leading the league in total attendance with about 1.45 million fans, followed by the LG Twins with 1.43 million. In all, seven of the 10 teams have each drawn over a million fans, equaling the record-setting total from a season ago.

The Lions also lead the KBO with 50 sellouts.

Yonhap