MLB teams turn to pop culture as way to draw new fans to ballpark

Blue Jays fans pose with limited-edition Hello Kitty bobbleheads during a game against the Orioles at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sept. 12. | REUTERS

By nicole fernandes
Reuters

Sep 20, 2026

It is a typical summer scene at the home of the Toronto Blue Jays. The sun is out, the retractable roof is open and a sea of blue-jersey-clad fans are cheering on the home team as they take on the Baltimore Orioles.

But take a closer look, and you will see her everywhere.

Hello Kitty has taken over the ballpark and brought her fans with her. The concourse is bustling with people hours before the first pitch, many of them clutching limited-edition Hello Kitty bobbleheads given to the first 15,000 fans through the turnstiles.

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