“If You Can’t Win, Why Should I Buy a Ticket?”: Hope, Fan Welfare, and Competitive Balance

Norm O’Reilly (), Alan Kaplan, Ryan Rahinel and John Nadeau
Additional contact information
Norm O’Reilly: Laurentian University
Alan Kaplan: Ryerson University
Ryan Rahinel: Laurentian University
John Nadeau: Nipissing University

International Journal of Sport Finance, 2008, vol. 3, issue 2, 106-118

Abstract: Competitive balance is highly desired in professional sports leagues, yet measurement of the concept is not well established. The definition of firm/team goals in a professional sports league and its connection with competitive balance has typically been assumed rather than studied. Using fan welfare as the goal of the firm, the current research attempts to link competitive balance with fan welfare through the use of what is termed the “hope” construct. A market survey of 367 individuals in a Major League Baseball market empirically supports the use of the hope construct in competitive balance. Suggestions for future research are presented.

Keywords: sport finance; competitive balance; parity; Major League Baseball; professional sport; hope; shareholder wealth; fan welfare (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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International Journal of Sport Finance is currently edited by Arne Feddersen, Babatunde Buraimo, Joachim Prinz and Jane Ruseski

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