The Korean pro baseball league is approaching 10 million spectators for the first time since its launch in 1982. Which of the 10 teams had the largest number of spectators at its home stadium? Surprisingly, the team is not based in Seoul with a large population. The Samsung Lions use Daegu as their home ground and ranks first in spectatorship.메이저사이트
As of the 26th, Samsung has 1,131,022 spectators this season. Samsung, which opened the era of 1 million spectators in one season for the first time in 43 years on the 14th, ranked No. 1 in spectators by selling out all three consecutive home games against Lotte Giants last weekend (23-25). In particular, from July to August, more than 200,000 spectators were gathered only in the KBO League.
Samsung’s home games attracted an average of 17,672 spectators per game this year. The figure represents a 48 percent increase from last year’s average of 11,912 spectators. Out of 64 games held at home, a total of 21 sold-out games were held. Out of 71 games held at home last year, the number of sold-out games was four. It is the first time in seven years that the number of spectators exceeded 1 million in regions other than the Seoul metropolitan area since the Kia Tigers (1,024,830) and the Lotte Giants (1,038,492).
In addition, it is the first time in three years that Samsung has recorded the largest number of spectators since 2021 (278,222). However, in 2021, the number of spectators was up and down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first and last time Samsung ranked No. 1 in spectatorship was in 1982, the first year of the league (334,467). The final ranking may change as the season is not over yet, but the fact remains that Samsung is contributing significantly to the 10 million spectatorship in professional baseball.
In the past, Daegu citizens’ stadium (10,000 to 13,000 seats) could not have dreamed of such spectators. Samsung set a new record in nine years at the Samsung Lions Park (24,000 seats) in Daegu, which opened in 2016. The best performance was 851,417 in 2016 and 845,775 last year, but this year, combined with the overall popularity of the league and Samsung’s gust of wind, opened the era of 1 million spectators for the first time ever.
There are several factors that contribute to the increase in spectatorship. Up until before the season, Samsung was ranked at the bottom of the list. However, the bullpen pitcher lineup, including Kim Jae-yoon and Lim Chang-min, which Samsung recruited last winter, made a soft landing and cruised smoothly. On top of this, players who have not displayed potential so far, including Lee Seong-gyu, Kim Heon-gon, and Yoon Jeong-bin, are also active.
Samsung is currently second in the league (66 wins, two draws and 54 losses, and a winning percentage of 0.550). As the home run record (36 wins, 28 losses, and a winning percentage of 0.563) is even better, fans naturally visit the stadium. Samsung has posted a whopping 99 home runs in 64 home games. Whether at home or away, six players (Kim Young-woong, Koo Ja-wook, Lee Sung-kyu, Kang Min-ho, Lee Jae-hyun, and Park Byung-ho) have hit double-digit home runs. They also rank No. 1 in the league (37th inning) in come-from-behind wins. They are attracting fans with home run shows that turn the tables.
The number of female fans is also on the rise. Young stars with skills and appearance, including Lee Jae-hyun, Kim Young-woong, Kim Hyun-joon and Kim Ji-chan, are gaining popularity as idol groups. The Samsung team also lowered the safety net on the third-base stand right before the game, providing time for fans to freely receive autographs, which is also gaining huge popularity.
The recruitment of celebrities targeting generation MZ also affected the popularity. Recently, Samsung invited Rilka, a YouTuber with 1 million interest in the KBO League, as a fan. He successfully recruited him by presenting various strategies such as a stadium tour, introduction of goods, and cheering experience. He is overcoming the weaknesses of provincial teams, which are not easy to attract famous people. Recently, he invited Song Geon-hee, a fan of the drama “Sunjae Up Go Touture,” as the first pitchman to shake the hearts of fans.
Samsung has been using “Win or Wow” as its catchphrase since last year. It means “Win or Win” or “Wow” to the fans. It means to create a fandom that can surpass victory. Samsung failed to meet the requirements of “Win” by ranking eighth last year, but this year it achieved 66 “Win” and “Wow” of 1 million spectators.