South Korean baseball league thrives as global sports interest wanes

The era of widespread national fervor surrounding major international sporting events appears to be fading. Both the ongoing 2026 North-Central America World Cup and the recent Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have seen a noticeable decline in public interest, even in South Korea. Despite young athletes like 최가온 making strides in sports like snowboarding, attention remained limited. Even the national football team's early exit from the World Cup did not ignite the widespread public outrage seen in previous years.

This trend is not unique to South Korea. A 2020 survey by Morning Consult found that only 53% of American Gen Z respondents identified as "sports fans," a significant drop from 69% among Millennials. Gen Z also showed lower rates of regular live sports viewing and higher rates of non-viewership, potentially finding the 2-3 hour duration of games outdated compared to their preference for short-form video content.

However, South Korean professional baseball, the KBO League, stands as a striking exception to this global trend. The league has surpassed 10 million spectators for two consecutive years and is on track to do so again, with over 7.6 million attendees in the first half of the current season alone. A remarkable 87.1% seat occupancy rate and 231 sold-out games out of 424 played in the first half underscore its current "super boom."

The KBO's success is largely driven by the 2030 generation, who engage with baseball differently than previous fans. For them, it's more than just a sport; it's a "festival" and a space for "덕질" (a term for passionate fandom). In an era of high prices, a KBO ticket offers an affordable way to enjoy outdoor entertainment, food, and a chance to release stress through cheering and dancing. The league has also embraced modern fan engagement, incorporating ABS (Automatic Ball Strike system) and pitch clocks to speed up games, while teams actively produce short-form video content and merchandise, transforming baseball into a comprehensive entertainment platform.