Consumer Demand for Telecasts of Tennis Matches in Germany
Published online on March 27, 2015
Abstract
The research presented here aims to fill the existing gap in empirical research on demand for individual sports. A unique data set on audiences for live broadcast tennis matches from Germany, as Europe’s biggest and most competitive TV market, is analyzed. The results indicate that canonical approaches of empirical sport economics can be fruitfully applied to individual sports. Consumers prefer prestigious competitions, relevant matches, highly ranked, and German players. The findings suggest that the German tennis industry needs to provide national tennis stars in order to revitalize the interest of major networks and audiences.