We investigate the possibility that new facilities affect attendance - the "novelty effect" - in professional baseball, basketball, and football from 1969-2001 by estimating the parameters of a reduced form attendance model. Our results indicate a strong, persistent novelty effect in baseball...

Mixed evidence exists on the relationship between arrest and labor market outcomes such as employment and earnings. We analyze the effect of arrest on earnings in a sample of National Football League players who were arrested between 2000 and 2009. We use propensity score matching to construct a...

Economic models predict that “superstar” players generate externalities that increase attendance and other revenue sources beyond their individual contributions to team success. We investigate the effect of superstar players on individual game attendance at National Basketball Association...

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down sporting events worldwide. Local policy makers and league officials face important decisions about restarting play, especially in professional leagues that draw large numbers of spectators to games. We analyze the impact of professional sporting events on local...

The predictions that emerge from tournament theory have been tested in a number of sports-related settings. Since sporting events involving individuals (golf, tennis, running, auto racing) feature rank order tournaments with relatively large payoffs and easily observable outcomes, sports is a...

Local governments routinely subsidize sports stadiums and arenas using the justification that hosting professional franchises produces economic development and social benefits in the community. The prevalence of venue subsidies generated an extensive and vibrant research literature, which spans...

The predictions that emerge from tournament theory have been tested in a number of sports-related settings. Since sporting events involving individuals (golf, tennis, running, auto racing) feature rank order tournaments with relatively large payoffs and easily observable outcomes, sports is a...

Many economists view the NCAA as a cartel in the market for college athletes. Financially, this cartel allows NCAA members to attract and retain college athletes for the price of a “grant-in-aid” without competitively bidding for the labor services of student-athletes, greatly reducing...

Gambling on sports is a big business, and in North America it has evolved during the past few decades from a shady, quasi-legal activity to a widely accepted recreational activity. As with any big business, gambling on sports has a number of important financial and economic implications. This...

Professional sports teams in North America are privately held corporations. Consequently, they are not required to make audited financial statements publicly available. We use a hedonic price model to analyze transaction prices for professional sports teams from 1969 to 2006. Results indicate...