What Brings Fans to the Ball Park? Evidence from New York Yankees’ and Philadelphia Phillies’ Financial Records

Abstract

The New York Yankees’ and Philadelphia Phillies’ financial records providegate receipts for several seasons. From this data, I estimate non-price determinants ofdemand for individual games. The day of the week, quality of the opposition, and specialevents were the key determinants of demand. Fans in the 1930s preferred absolute torelative quality in the visiting team. Although this approach does not allow for estimationof the price elasticity of demand, the approach enables us to consider the stability ofdemand factors. (L83, N82)