Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2020-4
The Impact of Hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Differences in TV Viewership Between Seasoned Football Fans and Occasional Watchers of Football Games in Russia
This article explores Russian TV viewership for football games at seven international football tournaments from 2006 to 2018. The research goal is 2-fold. First, we identify the determinants of Russian viewership for football mega-events. We focus on patriotism effects, and we check for any hosting impact of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Second, we analyze how these determinants differ in explaining two distinct TV metrics: Audience Size and Reach. Results indicate that the metrics are partially driven by different determinants which can be linked to two types of viewers: seasoned football fans and occasional watchers of football games.
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