The determinants of football attendance: new evidence from Italy and future lines of research

This paper investigates the determinants of football attendance on the basis of a unique data set of all fixtures of Italian "Serie A" from season 2004/2005 to season 2010/2011, including a comprehensive list of sport, economic and socio-demographic variables. The paper provides important insights to sport and city managers in order to enhance the demand for football. Results indicate that the degree of competition between teams and the quality of players are important factors of attraction. The introduction of anti-violence measures also affects attendance but differently for committed and uncommitted fans. Moreover, the increase in attendance brought by the World Cup victory in 2006 is more than offset by the decrease induced by the "Calciopoli" scandal.