nep-spo New Economics Papers
on Sports and Economics
Issue of 2009‒02‒14
four papers chosen by
Joao Carlos Correia Leitao
Technical University of Lisbon

  1. The Size and Scope of the Sports Industry in the United States By Brad Humphreys; Jane Ruseski
  2. Mega-Events and Housing Costs: Raising the Rent while Raising the Roof? By Dennis Coates; Victor Matheson
  3. Outrunning the Gender Gap – Boys and Girls Compete Equally By Dreber, Anna; von Essen, Emma; Ranehill, Eva
  4. Stadium Architecture and Regional Economic Development: International Experience and the Plans of Durban By Wolfgang Maennig; Florian Schwarthoff

  1. By: Brad Humphreys (University of Alberta); Jane Ruseski (University of Alberta)
    Abstract: We estimate the economic scope of the sports industry in the United States. Drawing on a variety of data sources, we investigate the economic size of sport participation, sports viewing, and the supply and demand side of the sports market in the United States. Estimates of the size of the sports industry based on aggregate demand and aggregate supply range from $44 to $73 billion in 2005. In addition, participation in sports and the opportunity time cost of attending sporting events are important, but hard to value, components of the industry.
    Keywords: sports economics
    JEL: L83
    Date: 2008–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spe:cpaper:0833&r=spo
  2. By: Dennis Coates (Department of Economics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County); Victor Matheson (Department of Economics, College of the Holy Cross)
    Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between hosting mega-events such as the Super Bowl, Olympics, and World Cup and rental housing prices in host cities. If mega-events are amenities for local residents, then rental housing prices can serve as a proxy for estimating residents’ willingness to pay for these amenities. An analysis of rental prices in a panel of American cities from 1993-2005 fails to find a consistent impact of mega-events on rental prices. When controls are placed on the regression models to account for nationwide annual fluctuations in rental prices, mega-events generally exhibit little impact on rental prices in cities as a whole and are as likely to reduce rental prices as increase them. Somewhat stronger evidence exists, however, that mega-events affect rental prices outside of the center city in a fundamentally different manner than in the city core.
    Keywords: sports, stadiums, franchises, impact analysis, mega-event, housing
    JEL: L83 O18 R53
    Date: 2009–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spe:wpaper:0902&r=spo
  3. By: Dreber, Anna (Dept. of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics); von Essen, Emma (Department of Economics); Ranehill, Eva (Dept. of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics)
    Abstract: Recent studies find that women are less competitive than men. This gender difference in competitiveness has been suggested as a possible explanation for why men occupy the majority of top positions in many sectors. In this study we explore competitiveness in children. A related field experiment on Israeli children shows that only boys react to competition by running faster when competing in a race, and that only girls react to the gender of their opponent. Here we test if these results carry over to 8-10 year old Swedish children. We also include two more "female" sports: skipping rope and dancing. Our results contradict previous findings in two ways. First, we fail to replicate the running result. In our study, both boys and girls compete. We also find no gender differences in competition in skipping rope and dancing. Second, we find no clear effect on competitiveness of the opponent’s gender, neither on girls or boys, in any of the tasks. Our findings suggest that the gender gap in competitiveness found in previous studies on adults may be caused by factors that emerge later in life. It remains to be explored whether these factors are biological or cultural.
    Keywords: competitiveness; gender differences; field experiment
    JEL: C93 J16
    Date: 2009–01–29
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:hastef:0709&r=spo
  4. By: Wolfgang Maennig (University of Hamburg); Florian Schwarthoff (GMP Gerkan Marg & Partners International)
    Abstract: For the FIFA World Cup 2010, South Africa plans to invest heavily. The positive economic effects that the country is hoping for stand in contrast to almost all statistical ex-post studies. This contribution emphasises that these results, usually from research under-taken in the USA, can only be generalised to a limited degree. The density of sports venues in developed countries is so high, that the marginal effects of new stadia are necessarily limited. We also emphasise that stadium design around the world was not hitherto adequately targeted towards positive economic effects. The example of Durban and its plans for a new “iconic” stadium is used to illustrate fundamental principles of stadium design and their embedding in a re-urbanisation process that have to be undertaken in order to consciously achieve positive regional economic effects.
    Keywords: stadium architecture, regional economics, sports economics, World Cup, Durban
    JEL: L83
    Date: 2008–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spe:wpaper:0816&r=spo

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