Professional basketball in the 2023-24 season ended vigorously with an average of 5,000 spectators during the opening week. It started with the largest crowd in six years.
The total number of spectators reached 30,437 in six games held on the 21st and 22nd, the opening weekend of professional basketball in Jeonggwanjang in the 2023-24 season. An average of 5,072 people per game entered, showing a hot box office fever.
The average number of 5072 is about 500 more than the average crowd of 4,573 (a total of 36,584 in eight games) during the opening week of the 2019-20 season before the spread of the novel coronavirus infection disease (COVID-19). 슬롯머신
Due to the COVID pandemic in professional basketball, games were held without spectators in the 2020-21 season, and only limited spectators were allowed in the 2021-22 season, recording an average of 2479 in the opening week. In the 2022-23 season, when the restrictions on spectators were lifted, an average of 3,465 people were counted during the opening week.
It is the first time in six years that an average of more than 5,000 people have gathered in the opening week of professional basketball since the 2017-18 season, which averaged 5,105.
Concerns followed ahead of the opening. The national basketball team, which had hoped to serve as a catalyst for the box office success, showed disappointing performance at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, failing to make it to the quarterfinals and being criticized as a “well-in-a-frog.”
However, the number of fans who want to enjoy professional basketball has not decreased. Rather, there were favorable factors such as the relocation of KCC’s hometown and the creation of the new club Sono.
KCC, which left Jeonju for Busan, played its first regular-season game against Seoul Samsung at Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Busan on the 22nd, and achieved a sellout. The official attendance record was 8,780, ranking fourth among the most spectators in the opening week of professional basketball.
Goyang Sono, who became a new member of professional basketball when he acquired Day 1, also succeeded in attracting spectators from the first game.
At Goyang Indoor Gymnasium, where Sono and Wonju DB played on the 22nd, 5,002 people were present. A year ago, 3,692 people entered Day One’s opening game at the same venue, but the number of spectators increased significantly.
In addition, 5,202 people visited the “Telecom Derby” between Seoul SK and Suwon KT at Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul on the 22nd.
4,210 people also gathered in the match between Anyang Jeonggwanjang and SK, the official opening game on the 21st. In addition, 4,142 people were counted in the Changwon LG-KT match and 3,101 people were counted in the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis-Daegu Korea Gas Corporation match.