MLB teams boost attendance with creative fan promotions
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 12, 2026, 5:58 PM
Last updated Aug 12, 2026
Major League Baseball teams are finding success in attracting fans through innovative promotions this season. Creative giveaways such as pope hats by the Chicago White Sox, bobbleheads, and themed nights have contributed to an MLB average attendance of 29,618, the highest since 2017. The White Sox topped 1 million attendees for the season after distributing pope-themed hats on August 12. Other teams are also leveraging cultural moments, with Baltimore offering a Tupac Shakur bobblehead. Attendance enhancements coincided with rule changes that have made games more engaging, leading to lengthy lines and high resale prices for special promotional items.
- •MLB average attendance reaches 29,618, highest since 2017.
- •Chicago White Sox distribute pope hats during August 12 game.
- •Baltimore Orioles hand out Tupac Shakur bobbleheads in May.
- •Promotions linked to cultural moments are gaining traction.
- •Innovative rule changes contribute to heightened fan interest.
- 5:58 PMYahoo Sports — Pope hats, bloody shirts and so many bobbleheads: The creative ways MLB teams lure fans to the park
"“When things go bananas ... that’s when it gets really fun,” said Brooks Boyer, Chicago's chief revenue and marketing officer. An array of creative promotions — everything from the New York Mets handing out fake glasses and mustaches for a Bobby Valentine Disguise Night to the Texas Rangers giving away a Nolan Ryan bloody lip jersey — has played at least a small role in an MLB-wide average attendance of 29,618 through Tuesday's games, the highest such number for a full season since 2017. Bobbleheads remain popular — like the Brandon Nimmo Bull Riding bobblehead in Texas, or the butter-churning Nick Kurtz “Big Amish” bobblehead with the Athletics — but it's not just those iconic figurines that are drawing big crowds.
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