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    Stadium attendance demand in the men’s UEFA Champions League: do fans value sporting contest or match quality?

    Wills, George and Addesa, F. and Tacon, Richard (2023) Stadium attendance demand in the men’s UEFA Champions League: do fans value sporting contest or match quality? PLoS One 18 (2), e0276383. ISSN 1932-6203.

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    Abstract

    This paper is the first to empirically analyse the determinants of stadium attendance demand in the men’s UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious competition in club football. The analysis covers 1,234 matches from 2009/10 to 2018/19 across 32 nations. The results show that outcome uncertainty and competitive intensity are not significantly associated with higher attendances, but the level of team quality is, for all fans, and the presence of star players is, for fans of clubs outside the top five European leagues. The empirical analysis - based on Tobit model regressions - enables an evidence-informed discussion of the competition structure of the UCL and the highly charged debate surrounding a potential European Super League. The article also offers insights for the wider body of academic knowledge on stadium attendance demand, by adding rare analysis of an international cup competition and an improved understanding of the connection between star players and fan interest in European football.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Business and Law > Birkbeck Business School
    Research Centres and Institutes: Birkbeck Sport Business Centre
    Depositing User: Richard Tacon
    Date Deposited: 17 Apr 2023 12:55
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 18:18
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/49573

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