The food industry is in full swing with baseball marketing. It is rolling out a stream of limited-edition products, goods and experiential events through collaborations with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and clubs. The move is seen as an effort to combine cheering culture with brand experiences by leveraging professional baseball's strong fandom cohesion.

As of April 26, related industries say Nongshim, Lotte Wellfood and Starbucks Korea are strengthening collaboration marketing with the KBO and clubs. The companies are pursuing baseball marketing by reflecting the symbols and characters of 10 clubs on product packaging or by offering special goods and uniforms.

From club-packaged products to on-site events: courting baseball fans

Lotte Wellfood last month signed an official sponsorship contract with the KBO and is offering collaboration products and goods that apply the symbols of 10 clubs to its confectionery products. It applied designs of the KBO's 10 clubs to packaging for Pepero, Xylitol and Kkokkalcorn. It targeted fandom consumers of all 10 clubs with designs featuring club emblems or mascots and uniform images.

There are also collaborations with specific clubs. Nongshim collaborated with the NC Dinos and on April 18 held a brand day event using its product "Potato Chip" at Changwon NC Park, where the NC Dinos played a home game. The Potato Chip mascot "Gamtoli" threw the ceremonial first pitch before the game, and the company held in-stadium game events.

Starbucks Korea is expanding the scope of its baseball season marketing by running club-linked on-site events alongside the launch of KBO collaboration products. It first collaborated with the KBO at the end of last month to launch season-limited drinks and foods, and offered goods from 8 clubs, including tumblers, online and offline. It will then hold "Starbucks Day" at Incheon SSG Landers Field from May 1 to 3 as part of its on-site marketing. From April 21, it also began selling this season's Starbucks Day limited-edition SSG Landers uniforms.

Starbucks Korea on April 22 started operating its mobile coffee trailer, "S:Beokcha," for the first time. It is also operating the trailer at SSG Landers Starbucks Day, broadening its use of professional baseball marketing.

This year's maximum attendance expected at 13 million: courting baseball fans

The food industry's focus on professional baseball is tied to the sport's popularity. It became the first domestic professional sport to record 10 million spectators for two consecutive seasons in 2024 and 2025. Industry officials say the KBO expects the number of spectators at domestic professional baseball games this year to rise from 12 million last year to the 13 million range. The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), held before the start of the professional baseball season last month, has also added to the sport's popularity, raising expectations for strong attendance again this year.

Professional baseball is seen in particular as a representative fandom content that combines cheering culture, consumption of goods and on-site experiences. Analysts say it is drawing attention as a marketing channel for the food industry because ballparks are offline spaces that attract large crowds and make it easy to run limited-edition products, collaboration goods and on-site events together.

Another factor cited as favorable for attracting fandom is that companies can let fans experience products directly at the ballpark and encourage purchases through limited-edition packaging and goods. Another strength is that companies such as Lotte Wellfood and Starbucks Korea, which have links with professional baseball clubs at the affiliate level, can connect the pro baseball fan base to brand consumption and sustain long-term marketing.

Such marketing is also translating into consumer responses. Lotte Wellfood's KBO-collaboration Pepero sold out early at 4,000 sets in pre-orders, and Starbucks' SSG collaboration uniforms are continuing a streak of selling out every year.

The industry expects collaboration marketing by food companies targeting the baseball season to become even more active. Lotte Wellfood plans to increase the number of products covered to 5 types, including Kkokkalcorn and Moncher, and to launch packages that include special goods.

An industry official said, "Professional baseball has strong fandom cohesion and rich on-site experience elements, and it is emerging as a suitable platform for the food industry to expand brand experiences." The official said, "Baseball season marketing is highly likely to continue expanding because it can lead to product purchases and brand affinity."