For 14 days, the World Baseball Classic provided all its fans with excitement and surprises. The atmosphere was electric, the games were intense, and the drama was everywhere. Arozarena (Mexico) and Shohei Ohtani (Japan) stood out in the tournament thanks to their outstanding performances defending their country’s colours.
📈 The 2023 WBC was by far the most watched edition in tournament history, and it delivered many impressive numbers, such as:
▪ Total attendance of 1,306,414 — a tournament record.
▪ The average number of fans at the games stood at 25,275 – also a record – up from 2017′s average attendance of 20,402, meaning a 24% increase.
▪ The 2023 World Baseball Classic drew 1.01 million fans in attendance through the first round — a 98% increase from the 510,056 fans in 2017.
▪ Japan’s World Baseball Classic win over Korea drew 62 million viewers in Japan alone — more than the most-watched World Series game ever. The game surpassed even the Tokyo Olympics
▪ Tickets for the USA-Japan World Baseball Classic Final averaged $185 on TickPick, 255% higher than the average MLB game last season.
▪ Since March 1st, Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani has gained over 2 million followers on Instagram and is the first MLB player to surpass 4 million followers on the app.
▪ Mexico’s upset of the USA in Phoenix drew 47,534 fans — a World Baseball Classic attendance record for a first-round game.
▪ The tournament’s social media accounts saw engagement during the first-round increase by an unbelievable 564% when compared with the first-round of the 2017 tournament.
🎙 Before the WBC 2023, tournament vice-president Jim Small said everything will be bigger in three years: “We think we’re going to see some spectacular baseball this year that will help us keep our momentum going. So, this tournament will be even bigger. More people in the stands. More television engagement. All of that.”
🔜 The next World Baseball Classic will be in three years, in 2026, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has confirmed, and more changes are expected to keep increasing the prestige of the tournament that will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2026.
The World Baseball Classic is changing international baseball. Overall, the 2023 World Baseball Classic broke attendance and viewership records and sales records. Whether through e-commerce or direct sales at host venues, the expectation it generated was evident.
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