Baseball teams innovate to retain senior fans amid ticket wars

As competition for professional baseball tickets heats up, senior fans unfamiliar with online booking are being edged out of stadiums. In response, teams are rolling out new strategies to keep these long-time, loyal supporters coming back.

Lotte launched a ticket system last April aimed at digitally marginalized groups. At Busan’s Sajik Stadium, their home ground, they set aside 70 seats—0.3% of the 22,665-capacity stadium—for on-site sales exclusively to fans aged 65 and older. Seniors could buy tickets in person at first or third base box offices with valid ID. The response was overwhelming. Weekend tickets sold out quickly, prompting Lotte to expand the program this year to 220 seats—about 1% of capacity. Even so, tickets remain hard to get on weekends, while weekdays see more than 100 sold on average. Any unsold tickets by game time are released to the general public.

KT, which calls Suwon’s KT Wiz Park home, began offering on-site tickets for just 1,000 won last July to fans aged 70 or older and people with disabilities (plus one companion). The daily limit is 100 tickets. The move expanded the “Opportunity Game Ticket” program run with the Gyeonggi Provincial Government since 2023, which had previously covered 75% of ticket costs.

SSG held a special "Cheongbaji (Youth Is Now)" Day for older fans at Incheon SSG Landers Field on April 15-16. Tickets were sold on-site only to those 65 and older, while booths helped fans 50 and older learn how to book online. A "Youth Parade" let fans over 50 and a guest walk the field. The event drew praise, with many hoping the senior ticket sales continue. Other teams also say they recognize the challenges senior fans face with online booking and are exploring fixes.

However, with online tickets selling out fast, some teams remain lukewarm about addressing the senior ticketing issue. There are also concerns that tickets set aside for seniors could end up with scalpers. And with elderly fans lining up at stadiums during sweltering summer months, some are calling for better health precautions, such as preventing heatstroke.


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