Attendance and promotions in minor league baseball: The Carolina League

Abstract

This empirical study investigates determinants of attendance at minor league baseball games in the Carolina League in 2006. The focus of the analysis is on the effect of a wide variety of game-day promotions on attendance on a game-by-game basis, rather than aggregate attendance during the season. The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) results imply that attendance is positively a function of per capita income in the city or county hosting the team, runs scored by the home team, Friday and Saturday games, and promotions that provide cost-reduced food or beverages, low-and high-value merchandise and post-game fireworks. Attendance is negatively a function of home team errors, Monday games and possibly rainy conditions during the game. An unusual finding with respect to minor league baseball is that team performance variables affect attendance. However, home team runs scored and home team errors contribute to the overall entertainment experience for the home team fans, and thus yield plausible effects on attendance. © 2009 Taylor & Francis.