Spillover benefits to local enthusiasm: Increases in league-wide interest as a consequence of local sports team competitiveness

• This study examines how the viewership of league games is affected by the competitiveness of the local team.
• Our modeling shows that local interest spills over into increased viewership for other league games.
• Implications are described in the context of the league's postseason playoff tournament.

Previous research on competitive balance has examined the impact of league balance on local demand. Instead we examine how the competitiveness of the local team impacts consumer interest in other league games. Our modeling shows an 8.93 percent increase in NFL playoff television ratings for out-of-market games when the local team is actively competing in the same playoff tournament. Additionally, we find a 4.94 percent ratings premium when the out-of-market game features teams from the same conference as the local team and the local team is still active. We conclude that local team success is indeed related to increased interest in out-of-market games.