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Baseball fans are trading shelffuls of merch for hands-on experiences. With experience-driven spending now the norm—especially among people in their 20s and 30s—brands teaming up with the KBO are reinventing how they activate fans.
The biggest buzz is at 9.81 Park Jeju, a gravity-racing theme park in Aewol. Since March 28, the park has been running the “My Dream: KBO 981 League Squad Leader” campaign with the KBO. Buy a special ticket and you’re assigned to one of the 10 teams; results from 12 park activities feed into each team’s live win rate. AI tracks driving records, mission outcomes and even cheering-decibel levels, turning visitor play into real team competition.
One crowd-pleaser is the “Shout!” activity: hit a team chant above a set decibel and you trigger a speed boost just before the race. The “Ceremony” spot captures cheering performances with a 360-degree camera and delivers instant video clips. “Cheer Shout” uses location recognition so fans can join via their home-stadium apps even if they’re not on Jeju. Park staff say more visitors are showing up in team jerseys, recreating ballpark energy inside the theme park. The campaign runs through December 31.
Brands are also expanding everyday touchpoints. Photoism launched photo-booth frames featuring each team’s mascots and players ahead of the KBO season opener—targeting Millennials and Gen Z who want to stay connected to their teams outside the stadium.
CGV is streaming major games live on its giant screens and allowing fans to wear jerseys and use cheering props inside theaters, effectively turning cinemas into cheering spaces. After the July All-Star Game and the August Baseball Day viewing parties, CGV plans to screen every postseason game in theaters as well.
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