This is an analysis report published by the Economic Analysis Office of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on August 12, 2025, analyzing professional sports entertainment using the Tertiary Industry Activity Index.
Recovery Status of Professional Sports Entertainment
According to the Tertiary Industry Activity Index, the professional sports entertainment index recorded "0" in the second quarter of 2020 (April-June) when official matches for "sumo," "boxing," "professional baseball," "soccer," "golf," "volleyball," and "basketball" were all canceled. Subsequently, events resumed with attendance limits, and by 2024, they showed steady recovery exceeding pre-COVID levels.
Remarkable Growth in Basketball
In 2024 professional sports attendance, professional baseball led with 26.68 million spectators (both Central and Pacific Leagues combined), followed by soccer with 7.73 million (J1), and basketball with 3.62 million (B1 League, 2024-25 season). All exceeded 2019 pre-COVID levels, with basketball showing particularly notable growth.
B.League Expansion and Efficiency Improvement
The current B.League was established in 2016 as the third professional league following baseball and soccer. B1 started with 18 teams and 60 games (562 games including post-season), with team numbers increasing from the 2020-21 season, expanding to 24 teams and 737 games in the 2024-25 season.
Notably, in addition to increased team and game numbers, per-game attendance has significantly improved. While the 18-team structure through the 2019-20 season averaged over 3,000 spectators per game, the 2024-25 season reached approximately 5,000.
Success Factor Analysis
B.League's remarkable progress stems from business reforms achieving three-way growth of basketball, regional communities, and companies beyond traditional "sports business" frameworks. Specific initiatives include: ①Revenue assurance through regional collaboration strengthening in addition to broadcasting rights and sponsorship income, marketing enhancement through game data and fan data analysis, ②Local contribution and collaboration with local companies, arena utilization as regional exchange hubs, ③High entertainment value through music and video presentations, achieving high-level matches through Japan national team players and overseas star player acquisition, fan expansion through conditional photography permissions, ④Increased attention and recognition through Japan national team success in Olympics and international competitions.
The article evaluates that B.League has established unique characteristics rather than simply following predecessor professional sports, imposing attendance and revenue conditions on participating teams, with clear vision toward the 2026 season, recommending continued attention and match attendance.