Date of Award

12-2023

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Information Systems and Technology

Department

Information and Decision Sciences

First Reader/Committee Chair

Dr. Conrad Shayo

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This culminating experience project investigates the impact of the COVID-19- on Major League Soccer (MLS). The research questions are: (Q1) How did the pandemic impact the trend of fan attendance in the MLS during the COVID-19 pandemic? (Q2) What factors impacted fan attendance in MLS games before the COVID-19 pandemic? (Q3) What factors impact fan attendance in MLS games after COVID-19 pandemic? The findings were: (Q1) Average annual fan attendance declined by 93.61% in 2019 and 2020, and an annua l increase of 49.47% between the year of 2020 and 2021. (Q2) The study revealed that 72.9% of the variations in the stadium attendance were explained by factors such as stadium capacity, team rating, the day on which a game was played, weather conditions, salary, and Fan Cost Index. (Q3) On the contrary, the findings in question 3 revealed that only 46.6% of the variations in stadium attendance could be explained by the above-mentioned factors. This finding indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic influenced factors impacting stadium attendance post-pandemic. The study discovered that FCI, team rating and weather conditions were factors that significantly impacted fan attendance in the MLS before the pandemic. However, stadium capacity, players’ compensation and day of the week in which a game is played significantly influenced fan attendance post the pandemic. Future studies should consider ascertaining the economic impact of the reduced fan attendance caused by the pandemic on the MLS and the respective individual clubs. Additionally, future studies should also explore how the virtual viewing of MLS games has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic even after the pandemic is over.

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