Willingness to Pay for Soccer Player Development in the United States

Ash Morgan () and John Whitehead

No 15-03, Working Papers from Department of Economics, Appalachian State University

Abstract: As evidenced by the viewing figures for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, U.S. interest in soccer and watching the National Team compete is growing. American households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for soccer player development is measured using the contingent valuation method and compared to the cost of player development. Data are drawn from two national surveys administered before and after the 2014 World Cup event. In the surveys, individuals are faced with two stated preference decisions: first, whether they perceive that additional funding for player development will improve the chances of the National Team’s performance at the 2018 World Cup and second, whether they are willing to pay an annual household tax to fund the program. We use a bivariate probit model to account for correlation between the two decisions. WTP estimates indicate that the intangible benefits of player development are roughly twice the cost, justifying the investment from a strictly benefit-cost perspective. Also, WTP is temporally reliable with no statistical difference in ex ante and ex post estimates. Key Words: Soccer, Willingness to Pay, Contingent Valuation Method

Date: 2015
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dcm and nep-spo
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Journal Article: Willingness to Pay for Soccer Player Development in the United States (2018)
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