Meet the Baseball Fans Crossing an Ocean to See Their Favorite Team
For Mets and Phillies superfans, baseball provides a reason to see the world.
In a lively English pub, just a 10-minute walk from London Stadium, Eileen Plunkett felt right at home. The 69-year-old Mets superfan from upstate New York had traveled more than 3,400 miles across the Atlantic. But as she clinked pint glasses with fellow baseball fans and took a swig of her pale ale, she said it felt as if she was tailgating right outside Citi Field.
“I keep running into people I know from Queens,” she said with a laugh. “It’s wonderful.”
Hundreds—likely thousands—of other Mets fans had journeyed from across the pond to catch the latest installment of MLB’s London Series, featuring the Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies, in early June. MLB began its London Series back in 2019, following in the footsteps of the NFL, which had been hosting regular season games in Europe since 2007, and it’s proven to be a hit.
At first glance, the London Series seems like an attempt by MLB to grow the appeal of baseball in foreign markets. But, as Plunkett illustrates, it’s also a prime example of sports tourism—fans planning vacations specifically around their favorite sports teams. And in recent years, it’s become one of the fastest growing subsets of the tourism industry.
“I’ve never traveled anywhere,” said Plunkett, who hadn’t flown abroad until the London Series. “I’ve always wanted to come here, but I really needed a reason, and the Mets were the reason. Now we’re going to be here for two weeks, seeing England, Ireland, as much as we can.”
According to Dr. Lisa Delpy Neirotti, a professor of sport management at George Washington University who has studied sports tourism since the 1990s, stories like Plunkett’s are becoming more and more common.
“Most people want a reason to travel,” she said. “In fact, a lot of people are more interested in the event than the sport itself. It’s all about saying you were at this unique spectacle, taking that selfie and posting it, and then exploring and traveling.”
Delpy Neirotti points to some telling statistics: In 2022, the global sports tourism market was estimated at $587.87 billion, and is expected to reach a growth rate of 17.5% by 2030. Meanwhile, a study by Infillion, a digital marketing and research agency, shows that 26% of sports fans say they are willing to travel internationally to see their favorite teams.
“Sports tourism is about experiences,” she added. “It’s a bonding experience that creates memories.”
Fandom was on full display at the official Mets pre-game party prior to the first game of the series, with Plunkett and others packing a two-floor pub with orange and blue jerseys and flags. Steve Cohen, the Mets’ billionaire owner, even made an appearance, chatting with fans and taking photos, as spontaneous “Let’s go Mets!” cheers erupted every few minutes. Mr. and Mrs. Met even showed up to take photos with fans and walk with them over to London Stadium.
Darren Meenan, the founder of The 7 Line Army—a Mets fan group that frequently organizes road trips for fans—stood near Cohen for a while, snapping photos and laughing with friends.
“I knew if the Mets ever played here in London, we’d have to go,” said Meenan, wearing a customized Mets jersey with a Union Jack patch on the back. When the Mets first announced they would be participating in the London Series, The 7 Line offered a special ticket presale that, according to Meenan, sold around 800 tickets within two days.
“We’re undefeated at tailgating,” Meenan continued, noting that it had been particularly fun to meet international baseball fans throughout the weekend. “There are fans from Denmark, from Scotland, and a lot of the UK Mets fan group—there’s a lot of them, and we’re bringing the party to them.”
In one corner, a group of UK Mets supporters proudly waved a flag as they discussed how they became enamored with the team from Queens.
“I went on vacation in 2006 and wanted to try something all-American,” said Tracy Wilks, one of the de facto leaders of the UK Mets supporter group. “I couldn’t get Yankees tickets, so I went to a Mets game—and fell in love.”
Gemma Newman, another UK Mets fan, said that she had become interested in the team more recently, particularly during COVID lockdowns, when she and her sports-loving husband latched onto the Mets as a welcome distraction.
“I’ve met so many people through baseball,” she said, adding that she’s developed an international group of friends thanks to the Mets and even traveled to Citi Field last year to catch a game. “I’ve met these people through Twitter, then we met in person—some of the best people I’ve ever met. It’s an amazing, welcoming community.”
At the games themselves, American and British culture collided, with American delicacies such as Philly Cheesesteaks and New York pastrami sandwiches offered alongside the more traditional UK fish and chips. A Freddie Mercury mascot palled around with Mr. Met and the Philly Phanatic, and the locals in the crowd seemed to appreciate the good-natured rivalry of baseball, as opposed to the sometimes-chaotic aggression often associated with European football supporters.
“Baseball’s got a nice, chill pace,” said Adam Gilpin, a baseball fan from Belfast, Northern Ireland. “You sit, put it on, come and go. It’s low key, nice to watch and enjoy.”
Gilpin’s friend and fellow Belfast native, Stephen Stewart, was decked out in Phillies gear. He had become a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles when the team played a game in London a few years ago, and he soon latched onto all Philly sports teams.
“The NFL started all of this more than a decade ago, and it’s a slow build,” Stewart said, adding that he’s been impressed by the growth of American sports in general throughout Europe. “Year over year, you’re starting to see much more awareness. I love it.”
London Stadium—traditionally the home of West Ham United F.C., a soccer team in the English Premier League—had been nicely transformed to fit a typical major-league baseball field. And ultimately, the on-field product proved entertaining: the Phillies pulled out a nice win over the Mets in the first game with a 7-2 victory, while the Mets squeaked out a 6-5 nailbiter in the second game.
Phillies fans in particular were well represented in the stands, perhaps because the team has been one of the better teams in baseball this season and made the World Series in 2022.
“I traveled here to see the Eagles play when they came to London,” said Marissa Santora, a lifelong Phillies fan. “When I saw baseball was coming here, I said we have to go back… The game is like an invitation, and then you travel around and look for other things to do around Europe.”
Outside of the stadium, a Trafalgar Square takeover provided a taste of baseball culture for curious onlookers who didn’t have tickets, allowing them to try cheesesteaks and take swings in batting cages while the games played on big screens.
The MLB London Series is just the tip of the iceberg, with sports tourism expected to continue growing in the years to come. American sports leagues plan on continuing to host games overseas, while international sports—such as European football leagues and Formula 1—continue to gain traction in US markets.
“All of a sudden, everyone wants to go to Monaco and Dubai to learn what Formula 1 is all about,” said Delpy Neirotti. “They want to go to whatever’s trending, right?”
Particularly noteworthy, though, is the demographic breakdown of people willing to travel for sports. While 26% of sports fans are willing to travel internationally to see their favorite team— according to that Infillion study—that number jumps to 35% for millennials and 45% for Gen Z, indicating that the industry seems poised for growth, according to Delpy Neirotti.
“The data shows that this isn’t something that’s based on income,” she explained. “Younger people will put this travel on their budget whether they have the money or not, simply because it’s important to them.”
As this year’s MLB London Series wound down, Alyssa Panei—a huge Phillies fan—was waiting in line for a cheesesteak. She noted that she loved the experience, calling it a “trip of a lifetime,” and said she hopes to catch her favorite team in another city soon.
“I’d be down for Italy or Greece,” she laughed. “Come on, Phillies: Give me a reason to go somewhere else!”