2017 has been a great year so far for the baseball. We’re about a month into the 2017 season since the opening day for 4 largest professional baseball leagues around the world. Today we’ll have an early review on each league’s performance in the average attendance.
| 8 May 2017 | Games | Ttl Attendance | Avg Attendance |
| MLB | 464 | 13,527,819 | 29,155 |
| NPB | 165 | 4,794,079 | 29,055 |
| KBO | 160 | 1,984,121 | 12,401 |
| CPBL | 61 | 367,199 | 6,020 |
MLB (USA)
Major League Baseball (MLB) still the most popular baseball league due to its open attitude towards talented athletes around the world. 464 games played and welcomed over 13.5 million in total attendance.
The top 3 teams in the world are all in the MLB with the LA Dodgers leading with an average of 44,000 per game, followed close by the Cardinals and Giants at 41,000 per game. The winner of the 2016 World Series Chicago Cubs also have a solid attendance record with 39,000 ranked 4th in the MLB and 6th in the world.
NPB (Japan)
The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the second largest professional league in the world is neck to neck with MLB in terms of the average attendance. With two of the most iconic teams Hanshin Tigers and the Yomiuri Giants topping the NPB ranking. Both Tigers and Giants have an average attendance at 40,000 which placed them in the 4th and 5th most popular team in the world.
Compared to the two matured baseball leagues (MLB and NPB), there are two relatively young leagues in Asia that is thriving in popularity and awareness. Korea and Taiwan professional baseball league.
KBO (South Korea)
Korea Baseball Organisation (KBO) is the up and comer in terms of the international media attention the past few years, as more and more KBO players are making their way to the MLB. Including Pirates third baseman Kang Jung-Ho, Cardinals closer Oh Seung-Hwan, Twins Park Byung-Ho and Orioles Kim Hyun-Soo.
In Korea two of the most popular teams are the Doosan Bears and the LG Twins which based in the Seoul metropolitan area with the average attendance 17,000 and 16,000 per game which placed them above MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics in the global ranking (#41 and #43)
CPBL (Taiwan)
Due to a string of game-fixing scandals in the 90s to late 2000s which nearly destroyed the league, CPBL is currently in the bottom of the global ranking in average attendance. The league’s overall average attendance is sitting at 6,020 which is only half to the KBO.
Lamigo Monkeys with their single city focused strategy is the new rising star in CPBL, currently ranked #52 in the world with 7,841 per game with a 3.7% year over year growth which placed them above 1 KBO team in the global ranking.
