IBL Welcomes Record Attendance in Opening Week

The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) opened its 107th season of play by welcoming nearly 20,000 fans during its opening week.  Highlighting the attendance growth was a Saturday, May 17th home opener sellout by the Welland Jackfish, who, in now back-to-back seasons, saw 3,248 fans flock to Welland Stadium. The London Majors, Hamilton Cardinals and Toronto Maple Leafs all had massive home opener attendances, with the Leafs achieving a record crowd of over 3,000 fans who witnessed Ayami Sato, the greatest female baseball player of all time, make history as the first female to play in the IBL.

“These numbers go to show that Canada’s best baseball league has never been more popular,” said IBL Commissioner, Ted Kalnins. “Fans are flocking to our stadiums because of the engaging fan experience, with fun in-game entertainment, giveaways, theme nights, and accessible players, all at an incredibly affordable price."  

Over 184,000 fans attended IBL games in 2024, and the League is expecting to surpass 200,000 this season in its nine stadiums, which would be the third year in a row of record league attendance.  The search for a tenth IBL team is underway for the 2026 season, with parties expressing interest in the GTA, Windsor, Ajax, Oshawa, and Montreal markets.  All interested parties are encouraged to email expansion@theibl.ca for more information.