[Financial Microscope] Targeting Sports Fans: Savings Products for the Passionate Supporters

Shinhan Bank's "1982 Legendary Savings" Targets Baseball Fans
100,000 Accounts Resold
Busan Bank's Championship Savings Sells Out
Thanks to Lotte Giants' Strong Performance
Hana Bank's "K League Championship Savings" Aims at Soccer Fans

Banks are launching savings products aimed at attracting sports fans. A prime example is the "championship savings" account, which allows customers to support their favorite teams in major leagues such as the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and K League, while wishing for their team's victory. By offering these products exclusively through non-face-to-face channels, banks are also encouraging customers to use their own banking applications (apps).

According to the financial industry on July 9, Shinhan Bank has resumed sales of 100,000 accounts of the "1982 Legendary Savings" product starting July 7. This product, which was initially launched on July 1, saw its 100,000 account limit filled within just four days. The "1982 Legendary Savings" is a high-interest savings product commemorating the bank's 43rd anniversary, allowing customers to deposit up to 300,000 won per month in a one-year maturity free savings account. The basic interest rate is 3% per annum, with a preferential rate of up to 4.7 percentage points, making the maximum possible interest rate 7.7%. The preferential rate is specifically targeted at baseball fans. If customers meet the new Shinhan Card conditions, they receive an additional 4.2% preferential rate; to receive the remaining 0.5%, they must set their cheering team on "SOL Baseball," the digital baseball platform within Shinhan SOL Bank. Additionally, there is an event where customers who correctly predict this year's KBO Korean Series champion will share a total prize of 178.2 million won, divided equally among all participating customers.

Hana Bank has been offering savings products for soccer fans since last year. In June 2024, Hana Bank launched the K League Championship Savings account. This product, sold in line with the opening of the K League season, is available exclusively through the Hana OneQ app as a non-face-to-face product. The product name is determined by the K League team the customer chooses to support upon subscription. Customers can deposit up to 500,000 won per month, with a base interest rate of 2% and a preferential rate of 5%, making the maximum annual interest rate 7%. The preferential rate conditions are also soccer-related, including using the "K League Chukdeok Card" (1%), the chosen team's championship win (1%), inviting friends to join (2% for 11 friends), and participating in "Hana OneQ Soccer Play" (1%).

There are also many savings products targeting fans who support their local teams. If these teams perform well, the products often sell out, which also impacts the banks' performance. Busan Bank launched the Lotte Giants Victory Savings account this year with a limit of 3,000 accounts, and it sold out in about one month. The related deposit product was also discontinued in May. As of July 7, the Lotte Giants are ranked third in the 2025 regular season. For fans of the Kia Tigers, who are currently fourth in the league, Gwangju Bank offers the "Kia Tigers Championship Savings" product, which includes events such as giving away a one-day use of a skybox at the Kia home stadium. Jeonbuk Bank also launches a savings product for Jeonbuk Hyundai, currently ranked first in K League 1, every year in line with the season opening. For Daejeon Hana Citizen, currently in second place, the parent company Hana Bank is attracting local customers through the "Daejeon Hana Soccer Love Savings" account.

This trend among banks is a strategy to attract customers through simple deposit and savings products, as the popularity of baseball and soccer continues to rise. The KBO recorded a total attendance of 10,887,705 last year, setting an all-time record. As of July 6 this year, 7,361,783 spectators have already attended, and it is expected that the 2023 record of 8,100,326 will be surpassed. Last year, K League 1 also set a record for total attendance with 2,508,585 spectators.

This approach not only helps attract customers but also contributes to the activation of the banks' own apps. To achieve all the preferential rate conditions for Shinhan and Hana Bank's products, customers must use the sports platforms within the apps. Shinhan Bank encourages the use of "SOL Baseball Plus" by having customers set up a cheering team on "SOL Baseball." Customers can use "baseballs" earned through financial transactions to enter events for game tickets and club merchandise. Hana Bank's "Hana OneQ Soccer Play" allows customers to earn "OneQ Balls" by answering soccer quizzes or predicting match results each month, which can then be exchanged for Hana Money, usable like cash.