Department of Management, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Sport Management Group, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2023 Feb 3;18(2):e0276383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276383. eCollection 2023.
This paper is the first to empirically analyse the determinants of stadium attendance demand in the men's UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious competition in club football. The analysis covers 1,234 matches from 2009/10 to 2018/19 across 32 nations. The results show that outcome uncertainty and competitive intensity are not significantly associated with higher attendances, but the level of team quality is, for all fans, and the presence of star players is, for fans of clubs outside the top five European leagues. The empirical analysis-based on Tobit model regressions-enables an evidence-informed discussion of the competition structure of the UCL and the highly charged debate surrounding a potential European Super League. The article also offers insights for the wider body of academic knowledge on stadium attendance demand, by adding rare analysis of an international cup competition and an improved understanding of the connection between star players and fan interest in European football.
本文首次对男子欧洲冠军联赛（UEFA Champions League）即足球俱乐部最负盛名的赛事——观众需求的决定因素进行了实证分析。该分析涵盖了 2009/10 年至 2018/19 年 32 个国家的 1234 场比赛。结果表明，比赛结果的不确定性和竞争激烈程度与较高的上座率并无显著关联，但球队质量水平与所有球迷相关，而明星球员的存在则与非欧洲前五大联赛俱乐部的球迷相关。基于 Tobit 模型回归的实证分析，为 UCL 的竞争结构以及围绕潜在的欧洲超级联赛的激烈辩论提供了有证据支持的讨论。本文还通过对国际杯赛的罕见分析以及对明星球员与欧洲足球迷兴趣之间联系的更深入了解，为体育场观众需求的更广泛学术知识体系提供了新的见解。
