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Selling the Big Game: Estimating the Economic Impact of Mega-Events through Taxable Sales

Author

Listed:
  • Robert Baade

    (Department of Economics and Business, Lake Forest College)

  • Robert Baumann

    (Department of Economics, College of the Holy Cross)

  • Victor Matheson

    (Department of Economics, College of the Holy Cross)

Abstract

Professional sports leagues, franchises, and civic boosters, have used the promise of an all star game or league championship as an incentive for host cities to construct new stadiums or arenas at considerable public expense. Past league-sponsored studies have estimated that Super Bowls, All-Star games and other sports mega-events increase economic activity by hundreds of millions of dollars in host cities. Our analysis fails to support these claims. Our detailed regression analysis of taxable sales in Florida over the period 1980 to 2004 reveals that on, average, mega-events ranging from the World Cup to the World Series have been associated with reductions in taxable sales in host regions of $5 to $10 million per month. Likewise, strikes in Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and the National Basketball League, each of which has resulted in the cancellation of large parts of entire seasons, appear to have also had no demonstrable negative effect on taxable sales in host cities. Length: 31 pages

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Baade & Robert Baumann & Victor Matheson, 2005. "Selling the Big Game: Estimating the Economic Impact of Mega-Events through Taxable Sales," Working Papers 0510, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hcx:wpaper:0510
    as

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    File URL: https://hcapps.holycross.edu/hcs/RePEc/hcx/HC0510-Matheson-Baade-Baumann_TaxableSales.pdf
    File Function: WEA 2005 paper
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John J. Siegfried & Andrew Zimbalist, 2000. "The Economics of Sports Facilities and Their Communities," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 95-114, Summer.
    2. Victor Matheson, 2009. "Economic Multipliers and Mega-Event Analysis," International Journal of Sport Finance, Fitness Information Technology, vol. 4(1), pages 63-70, February.
    3. Dennis Coates & Brad R. Humphreys, 2002. "The Economic Impact of Postseason Play in Professional Sports," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 3(3), pages 291-299, August.
    4. Victor A. Matheson & Robert A. Baade, 2004. "Race and Riots: A Note on the Economic Impact of the Rodney King Riots," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 41(13), pages 2691-2696, December.
    5. Robert A. Baade & Victor A. Matheson, 2001. "Home Run or Wild Pitch?," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 2(4), pages 307-327, November.
    6. Robert Baade & Victor Matheson, 2004. "The Quest for the Cup: Assessing the Economic Impact of the World Cup," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(4), pages 343-354.
    7. Victor Matheson & Robert Baade, 2005. "Have Public Finance Principles Been Shut Out in Financing New Sports Stadiums for the NFL in the United States?," Working Papers 0511, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    8. Stefan Szymanski, 2001. "Up for the Cup," World Economics, World Economics, 1 Ivory Square, Plantation Wharf, London, United Kingdom, SW11 3UE, vol. 2(4), pages 175-183, October.
    9. Robert A. Baade & Robert Baumann & Victor Matheson, 2007. "Estimating the Economic Impact of Natural and Social Disasters, with an Application to Hurricane Katrina," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 44(11), pages 2061-2076, October.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism
    • R53 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Public Facility Location Analysis; Public Investment and Capital Stock

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