Attendance demand for soccer : a spatial cross-sectional approach

Feehan, PJ

Abstract

The cost of a return journey to a soccer match can often be comparable to,
or even exceed the admission price. However, in spite of the importance of travel
costs, previous studies on the demand for live soccer generally exclude travel costs
from the analysis. The thesis explores the consequences of this omission and
shows that the likely effect is to bias estimates of the ticket price elasticity
downwards. The thesis also argues that the previous estimates of the ticket price
and income elasticities are likely to be biased due to generic problems with the
time series approach and methodological problems with particular pooled studies.
To overcome these problems, the travel cost methodology, developed in the
economics of outdoor recreation, is adapted to permit analysis of demand
relationships in professional soccer. Attendance at Premier League matches is
modelled as a function of travel costs and other factors, such as the admission
price and consumer income, using data from a national fan survey. From the
results, ticket price elasticities are estimated that are more consistent with profit
maximisation than previous estimates. Subsequent analysis on the relationship
between attendance and income distinguishes between the decision to become a
fan and, given that one is a fan, the question of the number of games to attend in a
season. The first decision is shown to be positively related to income, via a social
class proxy, and the second decision unrelated to income, giving a positive income
elasticity of demand.

Citation

Feehan, P. Attendance demand for soccer : a spatial cross-sectional approach. (Thesis). Salford : University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2002