WBC breaks attendance record through first 2 rounds

The crowds have yet to file into Dodger Stadium for Monday's first semifinal game, but the 2017 World Baseball Classic crowds are already in the record books.

Attendance has surged in the fourth edition of the WBC, with 976,828 fans passing through the turnstiles during the first two rounds of play - a mark that easily surpassed the previous mark for a new tournament record.

That number represents a spike of 24 percent from the 2013 tournament, when the previous attendance record of 885,212 was set. Monday's semifinal between the Netherlands and Puerto Rico will almost certainly see the tournament surpass the 1-million-fan mark for the first time.

Although the tournament has faced some scrutiny over missing players and injuries, leading to questions about its future, this year's WBC has featured several compelling games, interesting storylines, and festive crowds. In addition to the attendance records, the WBC has seen a large increase in television ratings.