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Professional Rugby on the Celtic Fringe

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  • Vincent (Vincent Peter) Hogan
  • Patrick Massey

Abstract

The design of sports leagues has significant financial implications for the organisers and member teams and for the relative success or failure of the individual clubs. Using the Pro 14 rugby league as an example we show how the structure of the league has influenced the success of the league overall and that of individual teams. We use variation in rules across time and space to identify their effects. We show how match attendance has been boosted by measures such as reducing the number of Sunday matches and the introduction of play-offs. We also show that the Pro14 have increased broadcast revenue largely through geographic expansion into larger broadcast markets. Furthermore, this has occurred without an adverse effect on match attendance.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincent (Vincent Peter) Hogan & Patrick Massey, 2020. "Professional Rugby on the Celtic Fringe," Working Papers 202003, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucn:wpaper:202003
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10197/11272
    File Function: First version, 2020
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sports finance; Productivity;

    JEL classification:

    • Z23 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - Finance
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity

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