THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON FAN ATTENDANCE TO SPORTS EVENTS: THE CASE OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world in 2020 causing nationwide lockdowns in many countries. During this time in 2020, the MLB shortened their regular season and played with no spectators in attendance. This project aims to provide insights into the impact of the MLB stadium closures on fan attendance. The research questions asked are: (Q1) How did MLB stadium closures during the COVID-19 lockdowns affect individual teams\u27 attendance in the seasons after COVID-19? (Q2) What factors influenced MLB stadium attendance pre-COVID-19? (Q3) What factors influence MLB stadium attendance post-COVID-19? An empirical model was developed through recommendations from past studies. The data collected covers all 30 MLB teams from 2018 to 2022 and consists of attendance rates and on-field influencing factors. The research questions were analyzed through methods of regression analysis and through comparing attendance rates before and after the 2020 season. The findings and conclusions for each question are: (Q1) In comparing the total seasonal attendance for MLB teams in the 2019 and 2021 seasons and found that every team experienced a decrease in attendance rates. (Q2) The factors that influence MLB attendance before the stadium closures are stadium capacity, winning percentage, runs per game, home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage, and payroll. (Q3) The results from the second model that utilizes data from 2021 and 2022 demonstrate there are changes in the factors that affect attendance compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Areas for further study include analyzing the long-term effects on fan attendance after the stadium closures in 2020