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Returns to Stardom: Evidence From U.S. Major League Soccer

Author

Listed:
  • Todd H. Kuethe

    (Purdue University, tkuethe@purdue.edu)

  • Mesbah Motamed

    (Purdue University)

Abstract

This study examines the wage determination of professional soccer players in the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS). In particular, the authors focus on the superstar effects of the league’s top athletes. Given the structure of the league, the MLS-designated player rule and all-star game participation provide unique measures of superstar status unattainable in existing studies. We find evidence of a superstar premium both on average and among the league’s top earners.

Suggested Citation

  • Todd H. Kuethe & Mesbah Motamed, 2010. "Returns to Stardom: Evidence From U.S. Major League Soccer," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 11(5), pages 567-579, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jospec:v:11:y:2010:i:5:p:567-579
    DOI: 10.1177/1527002509354268
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rachel Scarfe & Carl Singleton & Paul Telemo, 2021. "Extreme Wages, Performance, and Superstars in a Market for Footballers," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 84-118, January.
    2. Kiefer, Stephanie & Scharfenkamp, Katrin, 2012. "The impact of physical attractiveness on the popularity of female tennis players in online media," Discussion Papers of the Institute for Organisational Economics 6/2012, University of Münster, Institute for Organisational Economics.
    3. Christer Thrane, 2019. "Performance and Actual Pay in Norwegian Soccer," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 20(8), pages 1051-1065, December.
    4. Rachel Scarfe & Carl Singleton & Paul Telemo, 2019. "Do high wage footballers play for high wage teams? The case of Major League Soccer," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2019-04, Department of Economics, University of Reading, revised 01 Feb 2020.
    5. Rachel Scarfe & Carl Singleton & Adesola Sunmoni & Paul Telemo, 2024. "The age‐wage‐productivity puzzle: Evidence from the careers of top earners," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(2), pages 584-606, April.
    6. Bernd Frick & Franziska Prockl, 2018. "Information Precision In Online Communities: Player Valuations On Www.Transfermarkt.De," Working Papers Dissertations 37, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    7. Jeremy M. Losak & Benjamin J. Posmanick & Raymond D. Sauer, 2024. "On the Value of a Premium College Football Player: Evaluating the Literature," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 25(4), pages 472-506, May.
    8. Maribel Serna Rodríguez & Andrés Ramírez Hassan & Alexander Coad, 2019. "Uncovering Value Drivers of High Performance Soccer Players," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 20(6), pages 819-849, August.
    9. Mario Lackner, 2016. "Teams as Superstars: Effort and Risk Taking in Rank-Order Tournaments for Women and Men," Economics working papers 2016-13, Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
    10. Franziska Prockl & Bernd Frick, 2018. "Wage Determination In A Regulated Labor Market: Empirical Evidence From Major League Soccer," Working Papers Dissertations 39, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    11. Watanabe, Nicholas M. & Yan, Grace & Soebbing, Brian P., 2019. "Market disruption as a regime for athlete activism: An economic analysis of college football player protests," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 600-612.
    12. R. Todd Jewell, 2017. "The Effect of Marquee Players on Sports Demand," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 18(3), pages 239-252, April.
    13. Paulo Reis Mourao, 2016. "Soccer transfers, team efficiency and the sports cycle in the most valued European soccer leagues – have European soccer teams been efficient in trading players?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(56), pages 5513-5524, December.
    14. Richau, Lukas & Follert, Florian & Frenger, Monika & Emrich, Eike, 2021. "The Rainmaker?! The impact of investors on transfer fees in the English Premier League," Working Paper 187/2021, Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg.

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