Articles
Spectator Interest in Attending Future Danish Men’s National Soccer Team Matches: A Study of Demand
Existing research on spectator demand tends to focus primarily on elite club sport. This paper aims to expand on the literature by applying regression models to a large and unique set of survey data collected from Danish men’s national soccer team matches held from 2013 to 2017. The output from our models suggests that the number of matches attended is positively related to future demand, as are the results of the matches. Our results have implications for managers of national sports federations because they provide information on how spectators’ interest in and intention to attend matches involving national teams are related, which can assist them in improving spectator demand in the future.
ORCID iDs:
Rasmus K. Storm, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9752-3216(link is external)
Tor Georg Jakobsen, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6931-7143(link is external)
Nikolaj Schelde, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8851-875X(link is external)
Does Foreign Investment Affect Sporting and Managerial Efficiency? The Case of English Football Clubs
The number of foreign owners in football clubs has recently increased in Europe and especially in England. This study aims to analyze whether clubs owned by foreign investors show different parameters of sporting and managerial efficiency. We use data on expected performance (from betting odds), wage costs, and the results of football clubs in the English Premier League (EPL) and English Football League Championship (EFL) over 13 seasons. We estimate different measures of efficiency using three alternative methods: expected vs. actual performance index, nonparametric conditional data envelopment analysis (DEA), and stochastic frontier, while considering foreign ownership as an exogenous factor. Our results suggest that there are not significant differences between domestic-and foreign-owned clubs.
JEL Classifications: F21, Z23
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32731/IJSF/182.052023.02
Team Masculinity and Performance: Evidence from Major League Soccer
Previous papers provide evidence that psychological characteristics such as personal masculinity are related to performance. Although relationships have been well established on an individual level, there has been little attempt to analyze the performance of teams that diverge in terms of masculinity. This paper studies the impact of team masculinity on its performance, paying particular attention to the connection between masculinity and cooperative behavior within a team. We use data on Major League Soccer teams because sports competitions represent a good ground for demonstrating masculinity and provide open data. Our results suggest a positive connection between the group’s average masculinity and its performance. We test whether this fact can be explained by increased in-group cooperation, first revealed in Stirrat and Perrett’s experimental study (2012) but do not find any relationship. As for the team’s diversity in masculinity, we do not find any impact on team performance.
JEL Classifications: L83, Z22
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32731/IJSF/182.052023.03
On Sports Betting and Uncertainty of Outcome
This paper provides an explanation for sports betting that does not appeal to risk-preferring preferences. The strategy is to link betting to the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis, a cornerstone of sports economics. The model relies on the inclusion of a contest utility function as part of a fan’s overall utility. The analysis focuses on point-spread betting and shows that sports fans can increase their contest utility by placing a bet if the contest is unequal and if they are either non-partisan or are sufficiently strong supporters of the underdog. When these conditions are met, an individual will place the bet if the utility gain offsets the expected cost.
JEL Classifications: L83, Z20
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32731/IJSF/182.052023.04
14th European Sport Economics Association (ESEA) Conference
Founded in 2010, European Sport Economics Association (ESEA) is a scientific association that pursues the goal of promoting communications between scientists and practitioners working in the field of sports economics. The ESEA Conference is the annual gathering of the European Sport Economics Association.
Keynote speakers for the 14th ESEA Conference:
Dr. Jane Ruseski
John Chambers College of Business and Economics
West Virginia University (WVU)
Dr. Alex Bryson
Social Research Institute
University College London (UCL)
Conference Information:
The Centre for Sports Economics and Law (CSEL) of University College Cork (UCC) is the host research center for the 14th ESEA conference, which will take place from August 23–25, 2023 on the main UCC campus. (Please note that presentation submissions closed March 31, 2023.) Prior to the event, a PhD student workshop will take place from August 21–23. The ESEA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will convene on August 24, followed by the Conference Gala Dinner.
The event is supported by Ireland’s National Tourism Development Authority—Fáilte Ireland and Meet in Ireland.
The southwest coast of Ireland is home to University College Cork. Ranked in the top 1.1% of universities in the world, UCC has a population of over 23,000 students.
ESEA Board Elections:
The European Sport Economics Association Board will convene on August 24 for its Annual General Meeting at the 14th Annual ESEA Conference. During the AGM, board elections will be held to fill the following vacant positions: President-Elect, General Secretary, Youth Development Officer, and PhD Student Representative. The ESEA Board encourages ESEA members to consider serving on the board and/or nominate interested colleagues for these positions during the meeting, being mindful of the level of national and gender diversity of the board.
To learn more about the ESEA Conference and register to attend, visit:
https://www.cubsucc.com/esea-home