A surfer boy with salted hair and a backwards cap pumps his fist along to a VTuber rendition of “Take Me Out To the Ball Game.” A middle-aged dad helps a young fan place an Ina plushie on his head for a photo op. A baby wears a tiny Dodgers cap that is soon replaced by a damp towel and a drink out of the exclusive MLB x Hololive cup.
More than 49,000 fans crowded the Dodgers Arena on July 5 for the Astros vs. Dodgers game at the Dodgers Arena, or, as Hololive fans know it, the second annual Hololive Night. Hololive is a virtual Youtuber/VTuber company formed in 2019. VTubers are “Virtual YouTubers,” interacting with their audiences and streaming with a live virtual model. Through motion tracking software, a visual model (often an anime-style character) recreates the talent’s motions on stream.
The event featured VTubers Koseki Bijou, Ninomae Ina’Nis, and IRyS as the singers for the Dodgers’ signature song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” and an after-show event which marked the first ever VTuber livestream at Dodger Stadium. Motoaki Tanigo, CEO of Cover Corp, the parent company of the Hololive group, threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Among the attendees were regular Dodger fans and Hololive first-timers alike. One such mother-and-son pair was 50-year Dodger fan Kathy Takasago and two-year Hololive fan Justin Dennison.
“He texts me this picture: Hololive night. He wanted to go. I asked him before, but he never was interested,” Takasago said.
Hololive has become a motivating factor for fans to enter the world of sports. Recently, Peter A. participated in the Hololive Production Cheer Up Fun Run, a 2k non-competitive run, which piqued his interest in marathon running.
“I listen to Hololive’s rock songs when I run. It’s always Callie’s rock and rap,” Peter said.
After observing her son’s infectious interest in Hololive, Ruth’s mother began to watch along. Her favorite are VTubers Fuwawa and Mococo.
“She reminds me of myself. When I watch at home, I’m answering, always answering out loud,” Ruth said.
Ruth grew up watching cartoons and proudly displays her collected merchandise from her outings in her office. “They say: ‘You like that?’ I go, ‘Why not?’”
Lines leading into merchandise booths took upwards of one hour despite multiple stations, but it was a marked improvement from the first Hololive night in 2024. Tassie C. recounted the arduous wait that Hololive fans had to endure to secure exclusive merchandise.
“There was one tent… and this whole line that wrapped around the stadium. I came three hours earlier,” Tassie said. “I think the Dodgers underestimated {Hololive}. It was the first time they’d ever done it.”
However, in that line, Hololive fans could interact with other like-minded individuals who had been invisible behind a screen.
Roxanne H., who came to the Dodgers game with four other Hololive fans, remarked on the curiously similar goals of sports and fan meetups.
“Events like this allow a community to get together and have fun. That’s the whole point of professional sports. Events like this bridge the gap between mainstream media and VTubers,” Roxanne said.
While some diehard Dodger fans have been resistant, she notices that fan reception has changed.
“Last year, there were a lot of regular fans pushing back when they showed up at the first hololive night event. I remember seeing [X] people asking, ‘What are they doing here?’ Now, it’s better,” Roxanne said.
The Dodgers and Hololive have integrated the collaboration into their branding. Long-time fans co-exist with the cosplayers, and even a kid shuffling through his Hololive trading cards is looked at with envy by young fans.
Making the first VTuber livestream at the Dodger Arena is no easy feat, but the effort is deeply entrenched in Hololive’s identity as Virtual YouTubers. In IRyS’s own words: “We’re always trying to push the envelope in the creativity and technology sphere so we can continue delivering the best entertainment to all of you.”