An Analysis of Attendance at Major League Baseball Spring Training Games

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of game-day attendance during Major League Baseball's 2002 spring training season in Florida. Our model of game-day attendance includes location, quality of game, and time and weather variables. A censored Tobit estimation procedure is used to estimate our model. Our results indicate that the quality of the game, average ticket price, and several location-specific factors affect attendance. Specifically, our results suggest that changes in income have no effect on attendance while increases in ticket prices cause reductions in attendance. Furthermore, the estimated price elasticity of demand for Major League Baseball during the spring training season is unitary. 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.

Effective Factors on Reducing the Number of Spectators in Iran Football Premier League

“…In addition, in their study, Tojjari et al (2010) stated that economic factors had an important role in encouraging spectators for their presence in stadiums (20). Donihue, Findlay, and Newberry (2007) stated that an increase in the ticket price reduced the presence of spectators (21). On facility-equipment factors, Yusof, See, and Yusof (2008) emphasized the significance of facilities in stadiums and pointed out that paying more attention to these cases was essential for the managers of stadiums and acknowledged that the physical space of the stadium was of utmost importance to satisfy spectators (22).…”

Imaging the Game Day Experience: A Case Study of the National Rugby League (NRL)

“…A related element in professional sport economics and marketing, the demand for sports in contemporary times, including determinants of attendance to games, has also drawn significant attention (Borland & MacDonald, 2003). Indeed, many researchers have made conceptual contributions to the study of game day experience (Clemes, Brush, & Collins, 2011;Donihue, Findlay, & Newberry, 2007;Trail & James, 2001). Figure 1 provides a framework summarising these and other conceptual contributions.…”

“…The authors found that, while changes in people' incomes do not have an effect on attendance, factors such as location, average ticket prices and the quality of the game can affect people's decision to attend or to not attend a game. Moreover, as the local team's longevity in its location increases, game attendance tends to decline; in addition, attendance was found to be larger in cases where two teams co-exist in the same city (Donihue et al, 2007). Funk et al (2004) studied team sport involvement using 18 antecedents that focussed on areas related to attendance to games.…”

“…Donihue et al (2007) proposed a model of game-day attendance in the context of baseball games during spring training. The model was divided into three categories, the first being time and weather variables, the second location and stadium factors, and the last quality of game variables (Donihue et al, 2007).…”

“…Donihue et al (2007) proposed a model of game-day attendance in the context of baseball games during spring training. The model was divided into three categories, the first being time and weather variables, the second location and stadium factors, and the last quality of game variables (Donihue et al, 2007). The authors found that, while changes in people' incomes do not have an effect on attendance, factors such as location, average ticket prices and the quality of the game can affect people's decision to attend or to not attend a game.…”