Marketing in Romanian Sports
摘要
This study examines the price elasticity of demand for professional football by using the Romanian club Gaz Metan Mediaș example. By analyzing average season ticket prices and average season attendance throughout 11 seasons (2010/2011 to 2021/2022), the article shows that the demand for attending matches of Gaz Metan Mediaș was inelastic. The research highlights that fluctuations in season ticket prices had a minimal impact on match attendance, aligned with the vast body of literature on sports economics, which often shows inelastic demand in professional sports. Among others, sports brand loyalty of fans and large fan bases make spectators less sensitive to changes in ticket prices. The study is valuable in that it focuses on the Romanian professional football context, offering more understanding of possible decisions to be made by sports managers regarding revenue maximization or fan loyalty. Findings reveal that Romanian football clubs can operate ticket price increases without the danger of reduced attendance. Nevertheless, the case under analysis here (Gaz Metan Mediaș) failed to use this revenue maximization strategy and filed for bankruptcy in the summer of 2022.