Determinants of NBA Average Annual Attendance by Team

My project explores which characteristics of NBA teams are significant determinants of average attendance for the 1990-91 to 2014-15 seasons. By determining which variables are significant and the direction and magnitude of their impact on a team’s annual attendance, the results may be used to predict future NBA attendance figures, analyze how different teams can improve attendance and revenues, and determine whether other cities, such as Des Moines, are strong candidates for attracting new NBA teams. In the exploration of which characteristics are most important to determining NBA attendance, data has been collected and sorted by each team by year. I use variables such as local population, unemployment rate, real per capita income, and nearby entertainment substitutes to evaluate a city’s feasibility to acquire an NBA team