The number of people consuming sporting events has long interested economists. Although imperfect, it is a measure of the demand for a ‘peculiar’ type of good or service — the sporting event. It also provides some measure of the social pressure on individuals performing. That pressure can...

We revisit the magnitude of home advantage at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, looking back all the way to Athens in 1896. By comparing a host country’s success with their performances in previous and subsequent games, we find that home advantage has declined over time as participation and...

Large sporting events have non-trivial externalities, where net social benefits can differ from net private benefits. In this chapter we particularly explore the relationship between large sporting events and public health and safety considerations, surveying the relevant literature. The...