nep-spo New Economics Papers
on Sports and Economics
Issue of 2007‒06‒11
two papers chosen by
Joao Carlos Correia Leitao
University of the Beira Interior
  1. Couch Potato Patriots – Explaining TV Audience at the FIFA World Cup By Egon Franck; Stephan Nüesch
  2. A Tale of Two Stadiums: Comparing the Economic Impact of Chicago’s Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field By Victor Matheson; Robert Baade; Mimi Nikolova
  1. By: Egon Franck; Stephan Nüesch (Institute for Strategy and Business Economics, University of Zurich; Institute for Strategy and Business Economics, University of Zurich)
    Abstract: Existing studies about the determinants of the so-called couch potato audience in sports concentrate on the quality of the sporting contest which involves both the absolute playing strength of the competing teams and the relative evenness of the competition. Regarding national team competitions, however, we expect that the TV audience should also be driven by patriotism. Analyzing the couch potato audience of all matches during the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Switzerland, we find strong evidence that the TV ratings are highly affected by the size of the groups of foreign residents affiliated to the teams playing on the field. Whereas absolute playing strength impacts on the TV ratings too, the effect of evenness of the competition is insignificant.
    Keywords: TV audience, soccer, FIFA World Cup, patriotism
    JEL: L83
    Date: 2007
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iso:wpaper:0064&r=spo
  2. By: Victor Matheson (Department of Economics, College of the Holy Cross); Robert Baade (Department of Economics and Business, Lake Forest College); Mimi Nikolova (Department of Economics and Business, Lake Forest College)
    Abstract: Supporters of sports stadium construction often defend taxpayer subsidies for stadiums by suggesting that sports infrastructure can serve as an anchor for local economic redevelopment. Have such promises of economic rejuvenation been realized? The City of Chicago provides an interesting case study on how a new stadium, U. S. Cellular Field, has been integrated into its southside neighborhood in a way that may well have limited local economic activity. This economic outcome stands in stark contrast to Wrigley Field in northern Chicago which continues to experience a synergistic commercial relationship with its neighborhood.
    Keywords: sports, stadiums, development, baseball, Chicago, economic impact
    JEL: L83 O18 R53
    Date: 2007–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spe:cpaper:0701&r=spo
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