The Japanese owner of
"We want to see more people come to the stadium to see baseball," Mikitani said in English.
Mikitani said when he ventured into the Japanese professional baseball in 2004, the Eagles attracted only 7,000 to 8,000 fans to its games when it first started. Now the number has grown to 25,000 and baseball has become "one of the most attractive entertainments in
"We have this experience in
To that end, Mikitani said, baseball must become an attractive sport in
While details of the action plan are still being planned, Mikitani revealed that the bottom line is to build a sustainable base of fans by engaging them through personalized experiences such as fan clubs, music concerts and much more.
"We hope to offer more than the sporting event itself," he said.
"We're thinking of doing the same in
While the fan engagement strategy may take time, Tachibana said the club does not expect to generate sustainable revenue for the first few years, but will instead commit itself to attracting, and hopefully retaining, a new generation of die-hard fans.
Lamigo Monkeys fans were shocked when the club announced in July that it was looking for a buyer due to financial losses.
Despite its financial woes, the team has won six championships of the
==Kyodo
© Kyodo News International, Inc., source