Date Presented

Fall 9-1-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Marketing

First Advisor

Stefan Nicovich, PhD

Second Advisor

David Freier, PhD

Third Advisor

Edward DeClair, PhD

Abstract

This paper will discuss the reasons for the decline in Major League Baseball (MLB) attendance levels and what might be done to stop this decline. It will also introduce an idea that the decline in attendance might not be as much of an issue as fans might perceive it to be. Along with being a super fan of a team, marketing and promotion play a big role in game-to-game attendance. Various ways that marketing is used and might be used better to gain interest for baseball are talked about in this paper. The argument made is that baseball has lost its fan base because it has failed to stay up with our fast-paced society. If baseball wants to recapture the market, modifications to the game need to be made. After all, baseball has been coined “America’s Pastime”, but what it meant for baseball to be America’s Pastime in the early years has drastically changed in how we view baseball today. Baseball has been around for hundreds of years and is loved by sports fans but seems to have shifted in more recent years. This analysis of attendance factors and marketing strategies will bring to light current American society’s values affecting baseball’s luster and attempt to show how MLB can shift their focus to bring back baseball as America’s Pastime. Modifications to prices, adding promotions, and overall showcasing a more fan friendly/fan centered experience would help to bring fans back to the stadium.

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