Are spectator preferences weaker for cup compared to league competitions? Evidence from Irish soccer

This paper exploits data from eight recent playing seasons to examine the spectator appeal for League of Ireland fans of the national soccer challenge cup competition (the FAI cup). The study finds a sizable spectator attendance penalty for Premier Division clubs in FAI cup games for the earlier rounds of the tournament compared to league fixtures against the same opposition. However, this is reversed by the penultimate stage of the tournament. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.