# KBO 'already' surpassed 1 million spectators, 'amazing Hanwha effect


It's springtime in professional baseball again. KBO surpasses 1 million fans in second-fastest pace in its 40+ year history
The KBO announced at 9:47 p.m. on March 9 that "the KBO League has reached 1 million fans in 70 games."

A total of 64,877 fans (23,598 in Jamsil, 9,468 in Munhwa, 15,076 in Sajik, 4918 in Changwon, and 11,817 in Gwangju) attended the games at five stadiums across the country, bringing the total to 1,026,244, up from 947,747 the previous day.

This is the second-fastest pace since 2012, when the league reached 1 million fans after 65 games. It is also the smallest attendance [안전놀이터](https://www.sportstoto.link) since 2015, when the 10-team system was established. The previous record was 90 games in 2019.

The 2024 KBO League, which kicked off with a bang last month with 103,841 fans in attendance for the opening game on March 23, has continued its strong start to the season with 23 games sold out, up from seven games for the same number of games last year. The cumulative number of fans also increased by about 33% compared to last year, with the average attendance rising from 10,103 to 14,581.

One of the biggest contributors to the box office is Hanwha. Hanwha produced national team aces Moon Dong-joo and Noh Si-hwan last season and signed free agent Ahn Chi-hong to a 4+2-year, $7.2 billion contract ahead of this season. The internal rookie of the year battle between Hwang Jun-seo and Kim Seo-hyun was highly anticipated, and the return of Ryu Hyun-jin to his hometown team after 11 seasons as a top-level player in Major League Baseball (MLB) was a huge boost.

In fact, Hanwha sold out all five of its home games, and also sold out the opening two games against the LG Twins (March 23-24) and the three-game series against the Kiwoom Heroes (April 5-7). While the attendance figures are based on the home team, Hanwha fans also filled nearly half of the stadium in those games, proving their interest. This is a record for Hanwha, which has sold out 10 of its 14 matches.

Even on a weekday, 23,598 baseball fans showed up at Jamsil Stadium. Jamsil Stadium [토토사이트](https://www.totopick.pro) has a capacity of 23,750 seats and was only 152 seats short of being sold out. In reality, the roar of Hanwha fans was nowhere near as loud as that of Doosan fans.

Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho downplayed the importance of Hanwha's stake in the KBO's success before the game, saying, "I don't know," but it's no secret in baseball that Hanwha has been contributing to the box office this season.

Before the game, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop said, "The good performance of popular teams is also playing a part, and I think the fun of baseball has gotten better with the return of Ryu Hyun-jin," adding, "I think the Doosan Bears just need to do well."

On Tuesday, which is also Election Day, five stadiums across the country will host 2 p.m. games, including Jamsil Stadium, where Doosan and Hanwha will rematch. A large number of fans, including families, are expected to attend, and the Bears could once again try to sell out all stadiums following the opening series.

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