Dunking Dollars: Assessing the Economic Impact of Superstars on NBA Game Attendance (2024)

Undergraduates: Alexandra Dunbar, Hayden Russ, Emily Tsipis, Sreyas Sureneni

Faculty Advisor: Johnathan Jensen
Department: Exercise and Sports Science

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Superstars serve as the faces of the National Basketball Association (NBA), promoting attendance across the league. This study examines how superstars impact game attendance in the NBA and also aims to examine the effects of other contributing factors. For our study, superstars were defined as players who are at least an eight-time All-Star and an NBA Champion. Data for the study was collected from NBA regular season games from January to March 2024. Using a series of linear regression models, the study found that superstars do have a significant impact on game attendance but concluded that that effect is greater when superstars play at home. The study also identified other factors that significantly affected game attendance, including the number of team playoff appearances in the past five years, market size, and day of the week in which the game was played. Future research could involve larger sample sizes from additional seasons as well as include factors such as ticket prices, load management, and adding additional stars, such as rookies that were high draft picks.