TY - JOUR
T1 - An Analysis of Attendance at Major League Baseball Spring Training Games
AU - Donihue, Michael R.
AU - Findlay, David W.
AU - Newberry, Peter W.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2016 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2007/2
Y1 - 2007/2
N2 - This article examines the determinants of game-day attendance during Major League Baseball’s 2002 spring training season in Florida. The model of game-day attendance includes location, quality of game, and time and weather variables. A censored Tobit estimation procedure is used to estimate the model. Results indicate that the quality of the game, average ticket price, and several location-specific factors affect attendance. Specifically, results suggest that changes in income have no effect on attendance while increases in ticket prices cause reductions in attendance. Furthermore, estimates of the price elasticity of demand for Major League Baseball during the spring training season are consistent with unitary elasticity. We also find that a number of factors unique to spring training, such as a nonresident fan base and split squads of players, significantly affect game-day attendance.
AB - This article examines the determinants of game-day attendance during Major League Baseball’s 2002 spring training season in Florida. The model of game-day attendance includes location, quality of game, and time and weather variables. A censored Tobit estimation procedure is used to estimate the model. Results indicate that the quality of the game, average ticket price, and several location-specific factors affect attendance. Specifically, results suggest that changes in income have no effect on attendance while increases in ticket prices cause reductions in attendance. Furthermore, estimates of the price elasticity of demand for Major League Baseball during the spring training season are consistent with unitary elasticity. We also find that a number of factors unique to spring training, such as a nonresident fan base and split squads of players, significantly affect game-day attendance.
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U2 - 10.1177/1527002505276716
DO - 10.1177/1527002505276716
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84990374643
VL - 8
SP - 39
EP - 61
JO - Journal of Sports Economics
JF - Journal of Sports Economics
SN - 1527-0025
IS - 1
ER -