Does live broadcasting reduce stadium attendance? The case of Norwegian football

Abstract

Purpose Attendance at matches in the smaller European football leagues is challenged by the increased number of live broadcast matches, particularly covering the biggest leagues. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of live broadcasting, match scheduling and other factors on stadium attendance in the top division of Norwegian football. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on a fixed effects regression model on attendance at match levels covering the period 2005 to 2011. Findings The main results show two different effects. While live broadcast domestic matches on “free TV” is positively correlated to stadium attendance, the increased number of “imported” matches from the big-five leagues is a substitute. Moreover, matches played on weekdays have a lower level of attendance than weekend matches. Practical implications The increased number of imported live broadcast football matches from the biggest European leagues influences and widens the financial gap between the biggest and the smaller football leagues. One possible solution for reducing the substitution effect from these matches is a more efficient match schedule in the Norwegian top division in football. Originality/value Norway has a small population with a high interest for football. This paper measures effects on attendance in the Norwegian top division in football matches with regards to the increased number of live broadcast matches both from the domestic league and from the big five football leagues.

Stadium Attendance Demand Research: A Scoping Review

“…Although most authors centered their manuscripts around sporting event characteristics, some authors have emphasized the potential role of economic factors, the quality of viewing, and also emerging consumer preferences in explaining the variance in stadium attendance demand. As such, there already exists a significant body of literature on the question of whether television broadcasts serve as a substitute for stadium attendance (e.g., S. Allan, 2004;Baimbridge et al, 1996;Barajas et al, 2019;Kringstad et al, 2018;Nielsen et al, 2019), whether promotions such as bobblehead giveaways, fireworks, and even marching bands, are effective in increasing stadium attendance demand (e.g., Boyd & Krehbiel, 2003;Kappe et al, 2014;McDonald & Rascher, 2000;Natke & Thomas, 2019;, and whether consumer preferences alter in the aftermath of exogenous shocks Figure 4. Dominant themes in stadium attendance demand research.…”

The impact of English Premier League broadcasts on Danish spectator demand: a small league perspective

“…There is an ongoing debate about whether broadcasting of international matches is a threat to national league interest (e.g. Forrest & Simmons, 2006;Kringstad, Solberg, & Jakobsen, 2018;Solberg & Mehus, 2014). The Big Five 1 leagues gain increasing amounts of revenue from television rights deals at the expense of smaller leagues, thereby broadening the quality gap between the top leagues and the rest.…”

“…Even though the effect of live transmissions on football spectator demand has been extensively studied, there has been relatively little focus on smaller football nations (Kringstad et al, 2018). More insights from minor leagues could shed light on how demand for domestic club football is affected by competition from international football leagues.…”

At the stadium or at home: the effect of broadcasting matches

“…The influence of scheduling on TV viewership and stadium attendance has also been an object of study as clubs try to maximise home attendance and broadcasters search for the maximum audience rating (Wang et al , 2018). Kringstad et al (2018) pay attention to scheduling as well.…”