The Economics of Professional Team Sports

Do dominant teams kill public interest in professional sport? Do spectators relish close contests and unpredictable results? Are sports stars overpaid? Will recent changes to sports broadcasting undermine the traditional organisation of professional team sports? To address these and other issues, Paul Downward and Alistair Dawson offer a detailed survey of the economic literature on sporting leagues, the demand for professional team sports and the players' labour market. Amongst the topics discussed are the US system of franchising and draft picks and the chances of their being adopted elsewhere, the implications of player strikes, the onset of pay-per-view and digital television, and the relatively new notion that sport is a business like any other. This book is unique in that it constitutes the first truly rigorous application of economic principles to its subject. It will be of great interest to students and practioners within the field of sports and leisure economies.Alistair Dawson is the author of 'The Economics of Professional Team Sports', published 2000 under ISBN 9780415208734 and ISBN 0415208734.