KBO Sets Single-Season Attendance Record at 12.36 Million
The KBO League set a single-season attendance record with 12.36 million fans through 699 games, with 21 regular-season games remaining.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 2 min read 
The Korea Baseball Organization set a new single-season attendance record on Monday, October 5, reaching 12,362,000 spectators through 699 regular-season games and surpassing the mark established just one year earlier.
The 2026 total moved beyond the previous record of 12,312,519, set in 2025. With 21 games still remaining on the schedule, the final figure will continue to rise before the postseason begins.
KBO growth continues for a third straight year
Korean professional baseball first crossed 10 million spectators in 2024. The league has now exceeded 10 million in three consecutive seasons and 12 million in back-to-back years, underscoring how quickly its attendance boom has accelerated.
The KBO averaged 17,685 fans per game through October 5, about four percent higher than at the same point last season. Ballparks operated at 85.2 percent of capacity, while 330 games had sold out — one short of the league record set in 2025.
The league reached each million-fan milestone from one million through 12 million in fewer games than ever before. It passed 10 million after 565 games on August 26, 11 million after 626 games on September 12 and 12 million after 684 games on October 1.
Eight clubs pass one million spectators
Eight of the KBO’s 10 clubs have drawn more than one million fans this season, another league first. Only the NC Dinos and Kiwoom Heroes remained below the mark as of Monday.
The Samsung Lions led the KBO with 1,669,050 spectators and sold out 57 of their 71 home dates. The LG Twins ranked second at 1,574,738, followed by the Doosan Bears with 1,483,772.
The Lotte Giants, KIA Tigers, SSG Landers and Hanwha Eagles also exceeded one million. The KT Wiz joined them for the first time in franchise history, reaching 1,004,272 on the same day they clinched the regular-season championship with a 9-0 win over Lotte.
The record arrived despite 30 games being postponed during extreme August heat and the late-season absence of national-team players at the 2026 Asian Games. With the regular season scheduled to finish on October 7, the KBO now has two more days to extend the highest attendance total in its 45-season history.
