Baseball Stadium Commercial District Revenue Up 31% in Three Years

KB Kookmin Card Payment Data Analysis
Hanwha Leads in Post-Game Revenue Growth

Over the past three years, revenue generated around baseball stadiums has increased by 31%. Among all stadiums, Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Ballpark recorded the highest post-game revenue growth.

On April 30, 2025, at Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Ballpark, fans of the Hanwha Eagles were cheering during the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League game between the Hanwha Eagles and the LG Twins. Photo by Yonhap News

On June 15, KB Kookmin Card announced the results of its analysis of payment data from the commercial districts surrounding nine baseball stadiums nationwide during the 70 days following the opening of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League from 2022 to 2025. The analysis examined 5.61 million transactions made by 1.41 million people using credit and debit cards.

Compared to 2022, revenue increased by 13% in 2023, 25% in 2024, and 31% this year.

Compared to three years ago, the industries with the most significant revenue increases this year were convenience stores (37%), bakeries and confectioneries (36%), coffee and beverage shops (31%), restaurants (29%), and fast food outlets (26%), in that order.

After games (weekdays 21:00-24:00, weekends and holidays 17:00-24:00), the stadiums with the highest revenue growth rates in their surrounding commercial districts were Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Ballpark (46%), Daegu Samsung Lions Park (42%), and Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium (20%).

On game days, revenue for the five main industries increased by 90% compared to non-game days. On game days, fast food sales surged by 166%, convenience store sales by 122%, and restaurant and coffee and beverage sales by 76%.

Revenue growth rates were higher on days when major series were held than on other days. The series with the highest revenue growth rates in the commercial districts around stadiums were the Dangun Match (42%), the Classic Series (33%), the Port Series (7%), the Jamsil Derby (4%), and the El-Lot-Lasico (0.1%).

A KB Kookmin Card representative stated, "We have confirmed through data that baseball games contribute to the revitalization of surrounding commercial districts," and added, "We will continue to analyze customer consumption patterns related to various sports and cultural activities based on data, and provide differentiated benefits."