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Uncertainty Of Outcome And Television Ratings For The Nhl And Mls

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  • Rodney Paul
  • Andrew Weinbach

Abstract

Although there is mixed evidence of the role of uncertainty of outcome as it relates to attendance at stadiums, the limited evidence available for television ratings has shown that fans tend to prefer more uncertainty of outcome when it comes to watching live sports on television. Given the often substantially higher customer investments associated with live event attendance compared to television, fan preferences may differ across the two. This study examines Nielsen ratings for two previously unstudied sports in North America, the National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Soccer (MLS). The uncertainty of outcome hypothesis is supported by the results in both samples using two separate measures of uncertainty of outcome. In addition, expected scoring is shown to positively impact television ratings in the NHL.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodney Paul & Andrew Weinbach, 2013. "Uncertainty Of Outcome And Television Ratings For The Nhl And Mls," Journal of Prediction Markets, University of Buckingham Press, vol. 7(1), pages 53-65.
    • Handle: RePEc:buc:jpredm:v:7:y:2013:i:1:p:53-65
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hojun Sung & Brian M. Mills, 2018. "Estimation of game-level attendance in major league soccer: Outcome uncertainty and absolute quality considerations," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 519-532, December.
    2. Franziska Prockl, 2018. "The Superstar Code - Deciphering Key Characteristics And Their Value," Working Papers Dissertations 38, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    3. Franziska Prockl & Dirk Semmelroth, 2018. "Perception Versus Reality - Competitive Balance In Major League Soccer From 1996 – 2016," Working Papers Dissertations 36, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    4. E. Frank Stephenson, 2024. "International Competitions, Star Players, and NWSL Attendance," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 25(2), pages 186-199, February.
    5. Chase Gooding & E. Frank Stephenson, 2017. "Superstars, Uncertainty of Outcome, and PGA Tour Television Ratings," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 18(8), pages 867-875, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    uncertaity of outcome; tv ratings; Nielsen ratings; NHL; MLS;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism

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