Determinants of Attendance in Major League Soccer

in Journal of Sport Management

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John Charles Bradbury Kennesaw State University

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2018-0361
Keywords:
consumer demand for sports; economics; professional sport; novelty effect
In Print:
Volume 34: Issue 1
Page Range:
53–63
Restricted access

This study examines the determinants of Major League Soccer team attendance during the league’s recent era of growth. The estimates indicated that regular-season on-field performance is positively associated with attendance, but the returns to success are diminishing. The estimates identified positive novelty effects for newer teams and soccer-specific stadiums, but not for stadium age. Income and attendance were positively correlated, which indicates that Major League Soccer matches are a normal good. The population size, Hispanic share of the population, presence of other major-league franchises, and number of designated players on a team did not appear to be strong determinants of seasonal attendance.

The author is with the Department of Economics, Finance, and Quantitative Analysis, Michael J. Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA.

Bradbury (jcbradbury@kennesaw.edu) is the corresponding author.
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