Consumption determinants in the National Hockey League: the influence of violence in the USA and Canada

Department

Exercise Science and Sport Management

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

The National Hockey League is aligned in such a way that it must present its product to large audiences in two countries. Given the difficulty of such a marketing effort, this study sought to determine the impact that violence, as measured by fighting, has on consumption. Separate demand models were estimated for attendance and viewership in the USA and Canada via Tobit and OLS regression models. Results from the various models indicated that the promotion of violence should not be considered a viable strategy for increasing consumption. More specifically, while fighting was found to be a positive predictor of attendance in all models, its impact was minimal. From a viewership perspective, fighting was not found to be a significant predictor in either market. Given the evolving nature of consumer preferences, these results are particularly salient to marketers seeking to develop strategies that are relevant to the current marketplace.

Journal Title

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing

Journal ISSN

14758962

Volume

23

Issue

1-2

First Page

154

Last Page

173

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1504/IJSMM.2023.130435

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