The Value of Don Bradman: Additional Revenue in Australian Ashes Tests

One way to understand the value of sporting ‘superstars’ is to examine the effect they have on match attendances and revenue. Arguably, the most famous sports star in Australia was Sir Donald Bradman, whose batting average has far exceeded that of any cricket players. This paper examines the value of Don Bradman by estimating an empirical model of the effect of Bradman on cricket match attendances for Ashes Test matches in Australia. The attendance effect – of over 7,000 additional people each day on which he batted – is then used to derive an estimate of the effect on revenue. We find that Bradman generated considerable additional revenue, though the range of the estimates is very large. The Australian Cricket Board, as the monopoly supplier of cricket, was able to obtain all the extra proceeds.