Title: Competitive balance and spectator attendance: the case of the Korean Professional Baseball League

Authors: Jae Hyuk Cha; Kyungro Chang; Taehee Kim

Addresses: College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746, Korea ' College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746, Korea ' College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746, Korea

Abstract: This study aims to analyse whether the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis applies to the Korean Professional Baseball League (KPBL). Specifically, the purpose of this study is to examine the competitive balance of the KPBL and investigate socioeconomic factors that may influence attendance. A structural time-series model is estimated to investigate the relationship between competitive balance and average game attendance in the KPBL from 1982 to 2012. The results provide evidence that the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis, as measured by competitive balance, does apply to the KPBL.

Keywords: competitive balance; uncertainty of outcome hypothesis; spectator attendance; time series analysis; Korean Professional Baseball League; KPBL; socioeconomic factors; average game attendance; South Korea; case study.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2015.074910

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2015 Vol.16 No.1/2, pp.78 - 91

Received: 24 Oct 2014
Accepted: 20 May 2015
Published online: 24 Feb 2016 *

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