The value of sporting success to Germans: Comparing the 2012 UEFA Championships with the 2012 Olympics

Abstract

We examine the value of sporting success to the German population at two major sport events in 2012, the UEFA European Championships and the London Olympic Games. Primary data were collected with a nationwide online survey of the German population (n = 359). Using the contingent valuation method (CVM), this study is the first to compare the value of sporting success between two events. The weighted results show that 57.5 % of the respondents stated a positive (>0) willingness-to-pay (WTP) for winning the European Championships title and 40.6 % for the first place in the Olympic medal table. Conversely, the findings indicate a lower average WTP for winning the European title in football (€40.74) than for Germany being ranked first in the Olympic medal table (€46.47). Regression analyses indicate that middle-aged individuals with low expectations of a good German result, low identification with the national team, but high personal importance that the team does well stated a significantly higher WTP for winning the title at the European Championships. For the first place in the medal table, females with a lower educational level, little interest in sports in general but high interest in the Summer Olympics including watching the Games, high expectations of a good German result, and a high identification with the German team reported a significantly higher WTP.