More than half of BC residents aged 18-to-34 would purchase merchandise or apparel featuring the team’s logo.
Vancouver, BC [August 30, 2023] – Three-in-five British Columbians remain open to establishing a Major League Baseball (MLB) team in Vancouver, a new Research Co. poll has found.
For the past three years, MLB has contemplated an expansion and there have been discussions about relocating the existing Oakland Athletics franchise to a different city in North America.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 60% of British Columbians believe it is a “very good” or “good” idea for Vancouver to host an MLB team, down one point since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in June 2021.
Positive views on the idea of an MLB team playing in Vancouver are highest in the Fraser Valley (67%), followed by Metro Vancouver (60%), Southern BC (57%), Vancouver Island (also 57%) and Northern BC (53%).
Just over two-in-five British Columbians (41%, +3) already have a favourite team in MLB, with most selecting the Toronto Blue Jays (32%, +4). The Seattle Mariners are second in popularity (6%, -1) followed by various other MLB franchises (3%, +1).
Among all of the British Columbians who currently have a favourite MLB team, more than three-in-five (62%, -7) say they would stop rooting for it to support the Vancouver squad.
Compared to 2021, there is no fluctuation on the proportions of British Columbians who are likely to watch the Vancouver MLB team’s games at home (51%) or at a bar or pub (37%) if a franchise is established.
“If Vancouver eventually hosts an MLB team, there would be no major fights over the remote control in British Columbia,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportion of men and women who are likely to watch the games at home is similar (53% and 49% respectively).”
Just under two-in-five British Columbians (39%, -1) are likely to purchase apparel or merchandise with the logo of Vancouver’s MLB team, including 51% of those aged 18-to-34.
There are drops in the number of Metro Vancouverites who are likely to attend at least one home game a year (47%, -5) or buy season tickets (19%, -3) if an MLB club is established in Vancouver.
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from July 29 to August 1, 2023, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca