This guy turned an empty ballpark into an $80,000,000 baseball empire. No Wall Street cash. No fancy ads. Just TikTok virality, yellow tuxedos, and a masterclass in knowing what the audience actually craves. His name? Jesse Cole. (Yes, and that’s truly a yellow tux.) Back in 2016, he takes over a sleepy collegiate summer league team in Savannah.

This guy turned an empty ballpark into an $80,000,000 baseball empire.

No Wall Street cash. No fancy ads.

Just TikTok virality, yellow tuxedos, and a masterclass in knowing what the audience actually craves.

His name?

Jesse Cole. (Yes, and that’s truly a yellow tux.)

Back in 2016, he takes over a sleepy collegiate summer league team in Savannah.

Empty stands. Boring games. The sport felt like an afterthought.

But Jesse noticed something: People say they love baseball…

Yet, they weren’t showing up—because it was stale.

So he asked the obvious:

“What if baseball wasn’t just a game… but a performance?”

He bet everything. House sold. Credit maxed. Air mattress. Banana Ball was born. 🍌⚾️

Numbers that go bananas:

• 2016 season opener: Averaged 3,659 fans per game over 22 games, totaling 80,504 fans.
• Including playoffs, 91,004 fans with 18 sellouts.
• 2023 World Tour: Over 500,000 fans across the U.S.
• 2025 highlight: One game at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium drew 81,000 fans—sold out in four hours.
• Across two nights in Charlotte: 148,000 attendees.
• Current waitlist? 3.6 million people.

Revenue impact:

• A 4,000-seat Grayson Stadium sellout can generate $2.1 million from tickets.
• On the road, one game at Indianapolis’ Victory Field pulled in $356K in tickets and $744K total with merch and concessions.
• Earlier years: $100K per game at home, $200K+ with promos and merch.

And the social media? Bananas too:

• Over 10 million TikTok followers—outpacing Major League Baseball.
• Even their rival team, the Party Animals, boasts 3 million followers.

Here’s what makes this story explosive:

They didn’t invent baseball. They just noticed people stopped caring and made it care again.

Banana Ball turned long, sleepy innings into two-hour, dance-charged rollercoasters.

Dancing umpires. Stilted pitchers. Fan-caught foul balls count as outs. No bunts. No stepping out of the box.

It’s fast, inclusive, and pure joy.

Takeaway?

You don’t need to invent a new game.

Just inject it with energy, community, and showmanship.

Jesse turned baseball into a travel-friendly, joy-selling, stadium-stuffing spectacle—one banana at a time.