An Analysis of Attendance at Major League Baseball Spring Training Games

Michael R. Donihue, Colby College
David Findlay, Colby College
Peter Newberry, Colby College

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http://jse.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/8/1/39

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of game-day attendance during Major League Baseball’s 2002 spring training season in Florida. Our model of game-day attendance includes location, quality of game, and time and weather variables. A censored Tobit estimation procedure is used to estimate our model. Our results indicate that the quality of the game, average ticket price, and several location-specific factors affect attendance. Specifically, our results suggest that changes in income have no effect on attendance while increases in ticket prices cause reductions in attendance. Furthermore, the estimated price elasticity of demand for Major League Baseball during the spring training season is unitary. We also find that a number of factors unique to spring training, such as a nonresident fan base and split squads of players, significantly affect game-day attendance.