<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> This article reports on empirical data from Norway which indicates that popular sports contests are also popular TV programmes. Individual sports, such as biathlon and cross-country skiing headed the popularity list, while football and ski-jumping came joint third. However, although football (only) came third, a higher proportion of football fans were willing to pay for watching it on TV than fans of other sports. This can explain why football has been the most successful sport pay-TV in Europe. Those interested in football were more interested in cultivating their favourite teams/athletes than fans of other sports. The analysis also indicates that the uncertainty of outcome is not as important for peoples’ interest in sport as the literature in sport economics has argued.</p></abstract>

This article reports on empirical data from Norway which indicates that popular sports contests are also popular TV programmes. Individual sports, such as biathlon and cross-country skiing headed the popularity list, while football and ski-jumping came joint third. However, although football (only) came third, a higher proportion of football fans were willing to pay for watching it on TV than fans of other sports. This can explain why football has been the most successful sport pay-TV in Europe. Those interested in football were more interested in cultivating their favourite teams/athletes than fans of other sports. The analysis also indicates that the uncertainty of outcome is not as important for peoples’ interest in sport as the literature in sport economics has argued.

TV Sports Viewers – Who Are They?

Dr. Philos., Professor, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim Business School, Jonsvannsveien 82, NO-7004 Trondheim,

Dr. Scient., Associate Professor Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim Business School, Jonsvannsveien 82, NO-7004 Trondheim,

Nordicom Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"subtitle":"A Norwegian Case Study","article-title":"TV Sports Viewers \u2013 Who Are They?"}

This article reports on empirical data from Norway which indicates that popular sports contests are also popular TV programmes. Individual sports, such as...

TV Sports Viewers – Who Are They?

Published Online: Feb 14, 2017

Page range: 95 - 110

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0164

Keywords
interest in TV sports, willingness to pay, uncertainty of outcome, individual sports, team sports

© by Harry Arne Solberg

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

TV Sports Viewers – Who Are They?

Published Online: Feb 14, 2017

Page range: 95 - 110

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0164

Keywordsinterest in TV sports, willingness to pay, uncertainty of outcome, individual sports, team sports

© by Harry Arne Solberg

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
interest in TV sports, willingness to pay, uncertainty of outcome, individual sports, team sports