Testing the Uncertainty of Outcome Hypothesis in European Professional Football

Abstract

Previous research based on revealed preferences cannot assess whether (increasingly imbalanced) football competitions might be at risk of moving into territory where consumer demand will fall off as suggested by the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis. Therefore, this article provides a subsequent examination of the relationship between perceived balance (in a number of dimensions) and intention to consume based on a stated preference approach in Germany. The estimated demand functions reveal that around 70% of fans care about competitive balance in the German Bundesliga but the league is not close to any tipping point at present.