Are Sports Teams Playing Fans? (2023)

Undergraduates: Anaya Patel, Taylor Thomas, Manny Portugal, Trey Foulks

Faculty Advisor: Jonathan Jensen
Department: Exercise & Sport Science

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Across the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL, research has shown a wide range of ticket prices set for fans as they desire to see their favorite teams play in person. The Fan Cost Index (FCI) analyzes the price for a family of four to attend, pay for concessions, and park a single vehicle for a game; combining all costs associated with a sporting event. This study researches whether certain leagues and athletic organizations are overcharging or undercharging fans with the FCI and what factors are greatly influencing the cost of being a fan. Using a hierarchical regression analysis, we grouped variables based on duration variables (average duration of one game, and number of games), market variables (TV market size and team value), stadium variables (percent capacity and age of arena) and performance variables (title win and winning percentage). Using the coefficients from the final predictive model, we created an equation to find a Predicted FCI for each team across the four leagues. Upon further analysis of these values, we found that NBA teams were far more likely to provide a higher value to fans while MLB teams were far more likely to be overcharging fans on a per-game basis. The reasoning for MLB teams having a worse value is likely due to a combination of more total games in their schedule and a much lower average attendance. Overall, teams should do a better job of adjusting their cost of attendance based on team performance.

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