This paper analyzes the inequalities and convergence across countries using data on the top 100 players in chess and tennis. We explore the impact of time trends and exogenous global shocks on countries' representation in the top 100 players' lists in a manner akin to a natural experiment,...

This study investigates the presence and variation of home bias across different hierarchical levels in German men’s football. Based on an extensive dataset comprising 357,530 matches from the 2023/2024 season—collected via a Python script—the analysis includes match outcomes, attendance...

Road cycling races, although won by individual riders, are a competition of teams. Riding behind other riders significantly reduces the energy required to hold a given speed. These races thus provide free-riding incentives. We introduce a game-theoretic framework of this strategic setup to...

Professional sports are part of the entertainment industry; as such, its business is developed based on the perceived interest in sporting events, which in turn depends on features like: the (i) degree of competitive balance that determines the uncertainty of the outcome; the (ii) concentration...

The inception of financial fair play (FFP) regulations in 2011 prompted debates about their potential impact on competitive balance within European football. Divisive arguments emerged: some anticipated a negative influence, foreseeing a decline in competitive balance, while others posited a...