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SBD/Issue 195/Leagues & Governing Bodies
Does Hope Spring Eternal Among Fans Despite MLB's $$ Woes?
Published July 12, 2001
As MLB studies ways to correct the current economic disparity that threatens the competitive future of the league, a new survey by THE DAILY measures what, if any, impact the lack of financial balance is having on MLB fans, and whether MLB is facing an erosion of its fan base by having mainly perennial top-spending franchises compete for World Series championships. The survey data taken in April of '01 by ESPN Sports Poll, a service of TNS Intersearch, is compared to similar data taken in February '00. The following lists resaults, broken down by MLB fans and avid MLB fans, and then by fans of teams that have reported payrolls in the top-, middle- and bottom-thirds of the league. All fans were asked the following:
| MLB FANS | AVID MLB FANS | |||
| '01 | '00 | '01 | '00 | |
| N=729 | N=479 | N=224 | N=157 | |
| Not at All | 4.9% | 3.7% | 6.3% | 1.9% |
| Very Little | 5.4% | 8.2% | 7.1% | 9.4% |
| Somewhat | 25.3% | 22.5% | 19.7% | 17.1% |
| A Lot | 64.4% | 65.5% | 66.8% | 71.5% |
| At Least A Little | 95.1% | 96.3% | 93.6% | 98.0% |
| PAYROLL IN TOP-THIRD | PAYROLL IN MIDDLE-THIRD | PAYROLL IN BOTTOM-THIRD | ||||
| '01 | '00 | '01 | '00 | '01 | '00 | |
| N=404 | N=225 | N=143 | N=128 | N=104 | N=79 | |
| Not at All | 6.2% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Very Little | 6.4% | 8.6% | 2.7% | 7.6% | 2.2% | 7.4% |
| Somewhat | 24.6% | 22.9% | 24.0% | 19.8% | 23.5% | 21.7% |
| A Lot | 62.8% | 65.9% | 70.2% | 68.4% | 70.7% | 66.5% |
| At Least A Little | 93.8% | 97.4% | 96.9% | 95.8% | 96.4% | 95.7% |
“Given the amount of money your favorite team has to pay player salaries, or your perception of what that amount is, does your favorite team have an equal opportunity to compete for the World Series championship?”
| | MLB FANS | AVID MLB FANS | ||
| '01 | '00 | '01 | '00 | |
| N=664 | N=426 | N=220 | N=150 | |
| YES | 79.3% | 79.6% | 79.1% | 84.1% |
| NO | 20.7% | 20.4% | 20.9% | 15.9% |
| PAY ROLL IN TOP-THIRD | PAY ROLL IN MIDDLE-THIRD | PAY ROLL IN BOTTOM-THIRD | ||||
| '01 | '00 | '01 | '00 | '01 | '00 | |
| N=400 | N=225 | N=143 | N=125 | N=102 | N=75 | |
| YES | 87.5% | 93.3% | 72.3% | 66.8% | 57.2% | 59.9% |
| NO | 12.5% | 6.7% | 27.7% | 33.2% | 42.8% | 40.1% |
