OUTCOME UNCERTAINTY, FAN TRAVEL, AND AGGREGATE ATTENDANCE

C-Tier
Journal: Economic Inquiry
Year: 2020
Volume: 58
Issue: 1
Pages: 462-473

Authors (2)

Brad R. Humphreys (West Virginia University) Thomas J. Miceli (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 0.5x C-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

The uncertainty of outcome hypothesis (UOH) informs economists' understanding of consumer decisions to attend sporting events and team revenue generation. We develop a model of fan behavior based on standard expected utility methods which incorporates fan heterogeneity in terms of decisions to travel to away games and strong preferences for wins. The model reflects aggregate attendance outcomes across local and visiting fans, generates predictions consistent with the UOH, and gives rise to concave league‐wide revenue functions. Empirical analysis of game outcomes and attendance at regular season National Basketball association games from 1979 to 2013 supports key predictions of the model. (JEL L83, D12, Z20)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:bla:ecinqu:v:58:y:2020:i:1:p:462-473
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-02-02