UNSCRIPTED DRAMA: SOCCER AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO SUSPENSE, SURPRISE AND SHOCK

TitleUNSCRIPTED DRAMA: SOCCER AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO SUSPENSE, SURPRISE AND SHOCK
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsForrest, D, horrillo, JDTena, Buraimo, B, Mchale, I
JournalECONOMIC INQUIRY
Volume58
Pagination881–896
Abstract

By modelling minute-by-minute television audience figures from English Premier League soccer matches, with close to 50,000 minute-observations, we show that demand is partly driven by suspense and surprise. We also identify an additional relevant factor of appeal to audiences, namely shock, which refers to the difference between pre-match and current game outcome probabilities. Suspense, surprise and shock remain significant in the presence of a traditional measure of outcome uncertainty.

URLhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ecin.12874
DOI10.1111/ecin.12874
Keywordsentertainment, football, shock, surprise, suspense