Title: Prediction of ticket purchase in professional sport using data mining

Authors: Chen-Yueh Chen, David K. Stotlar, Yi-Hsiu Lin

Addresses: Graduate Institute of Sport and Leisure Education, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan No.9-1, Alley 13, Lane 649, Sinjhuang Rd., Sinjhuang City, Taipei County 242, Taiwan, ROC. ' University of Northern Colorado, School of Sport & Exercise Science, USA. ' Department of Sport Management, Aletheia University, Taiwan

Abstract: The primary purpose of this study was to predict types of tickets single-game ticket buyers would purchase to attend the home games of a professional sport team based on their past ticket purchase behaviour using the Multinomial Probit Model. Additionally, the study also sought to identify the factors included in the database that accounted for the prediction model. The research findings included the following: |Attractive Opponent|, |Late Season|, |Promotion|, and |Value| were the important factors under study that accounted for the prediction model. The correct prediction rates were 60% indicating that this prediction model almost doubled the percentage of correct prediction regarding customers| ticket choice compared to the by-chance guesses.

Keywords: ticket purchases; purchasing prediction; professional sport; data mining; multinomial probit model; buying tickets; single game tickets; home games; purchasing behaviour; ticket choice; sport marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2009.026757

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2009 Vol.6 No.1, pp.68 - 86

Published online: 25 Jun 2009 *

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