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 Publication2019
AuthorsForrest, D, Tena, JD, Buraimo, B, McHale, I
JournalEconomic Inquiry
VolumeFirstonline
Pagination1-16
Abstract

By modeling 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/full/10.1111/ecin.12874
DOI10.1111/ecin.12874
Keywordsentertainment, football, shock, surprise, suspense