Special ticket packages and stadium giveaway promotions and the effect on demand for live sporting events

Purpose Special-ticket packages are an emerging promotion strategy designed to drive demand for live sporting events. Unlike traditional stadium giveaways―where promotion items are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis – special-ticket packages guarantee that fans will receive the item with their ticket purchase. While both promotion distribution strategies align with price discrimination theory, only stadium giveaways have been widely studied for their effects on demand. This research addresses this gap in the literature by examining the impacts of these strategies on demand for live sporting events separately. Design/methodology/approach Using a unique dataset of Major League Baseball bobblehead promotions from 2012 to 2023 (excluding COVID-impacted seasons), multi-variate regression analysis is employed to measure the effects of both special-ticket packages and stadium giveaways on paid game attendance. Findings Results reveal that special-ticket packages increase paid attendance by 8%, while stadium giveaways by as much as a 13%. Originality/value This is the first empirical evidence that special-ticket packages significantly influence demand, offering new insights for sports marketers and event organizers.