Stadium attendance and television audience demand in English league football

• Published in: Managerial and decision economics Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 513 - 523
• Main Author: Buraimo, Babatunde
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-09-2008; John Wiley and Sons; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Series: Managerial and Decision Economics
• Subjects: Artificial satellites; Attendance; Audience; Audiences; Broadcasting; Broadcasting industry; Ceteris paribus; Demand; Economic behaviour; Economic models; Economic psychology; Football; Leisure industry; Media; Professional soccer; Revenue; Stadiums; Studies; Television; Television broadcasting; Television programs; Television studies; United Kingdom; Viewers; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 0143-6570; 1099-1468
• DOI: 10.1002/mde.1421

Demand studies of professional team sports have traditionally focused on stadium attendance; however, advances in broadcasting mean that teams generate revenue from stadium goers and broadcasters alike. Previous studies of demand have focused on stadium attendance and television audiences, but none have assessed the demand for match-day attendances and demand by television audiences jointly. This study models match-day attendances and television audiences using data from tier-two of English league football. It shows that while televised matches depress stadium attendances, ceteris paribus, there is an important feedback in that larger stadium attendances have positive impacts on the size of television audiences.