The Value of Sporting Success to Germans : Comparing the 2012 UEFA Championships with the 2012 Olympics

We examine the value of sporting success to the German population at two major sport events in 2012, the European Championships in football and the London Olympic Games. Using the contingent valuation method (CVM), this study is the first to compare the value of sporting success between two events. The results show a higher average willingness-to-pay (WTP) for winning the European title in football (€47.31) than for Germany being ranked first in the Olympic medal table (€37.06). Aggregated WTP amounts to €3.3 billion (football) respectively €2.6 billion (Olympics). We can also determine significant drivers of WTP for sporting success