Do Victories and Losses Matter? Effects of Football on Life Satisfaction

Abstract

Every week during the autumn season, millions of Americans attend football games and even more watch the sport on TV. In addition to generating entertainment revenues, previous research has also shown that sports events lead to changes in emotions in minds of fans. This study examines whether sports influence the subjective well-being of the population. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an ordered logit model estimates effects of a local college football team’s results on the life satisfaction of local citizens. The analysis suggests that unexpected wins have positive effects on life satisfaction. Surprisingly, no effect is found for cases of unexpected losses or outcomes which can not be labeled as surprising based on the pre-game betting market.

Keywords: Life Satisfaction, Sports, Football

JEL Classification: I18, Z29, C25