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Filling the Gaps: How Clubs Can Reduce No-Show Behaviour in Their Stadiums

Empty seats in a sold-out stadium. A puzzling sight that continues to frustrate clubs across Europe. Whether it’s lost revenue, a subdued atmosphere, or an underwhelming broadcast experience — no-shows carry a heavier cost than one might expect. To address this issue, Dr. Dominik Schreyer (WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management) and a team of international researchers launched a large-scale study with over 13,000 Bundesliga season ticket holders. Their mission: to find out what truly works in nudging fans to attend games they’re already committed to — and paid for.

ES
ESSMA Editorial
17 Apr 2025 · 4 min read
Filling the Gaps: How Clubs Can Reduce No-Show Behaviour in Their Stadiums — banner

Reducing No-Show Behaviour in Football Stadiums: What Can Actually Work? 

Empty seats in football stadiums remain a visible challenge for clubs across Europe. Despite matches being technically sold out, a notable percentage of season ticket holders fail to attend. Beyond the immediate financial impact — missed revenues from food, beverage, and merchandise — no-shows undermine the stadium atmosphere, reducing its vibrancy for fans, broadcasters, sponsors, and even the players on the pitch. 

Understanding the Fan Behind the Seat 

To understand this phenomenon more deeply, Dr. Dominik Schreyer (WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management) led a large-scale empirical study that has recently been published in the Journal of Business Research. The study focused on season ticket holders (STHs) at a Bundesliga club, tracking the behaviour of over 13,000 individuals to assess how different types of reminders and incentives might encourage fans to show up on matchday. 

The experiment tested five types of reminders, each offering a different motivation: from moral encouragement (“your presence supports the team”) to public recognition (being named in the stadium magazine), and tangible incentives such as prize draws for exclusive experiences or valuable gifts. 

The Outcome: A Reality Check 

The results were as revealing as they were sobering: only the reminder combined with a high-value gift had a statistically significant impact, reducing no-show rates for one matchday. The other treatments — including moral appeals and public recognition — had limited or no effect. 

Even more telling: none of the interventions created lasting behavioural change. The boost in attendance did not carry over to the following games. In short, a single reminder — even one with an attractive reward — is not enough to alter long-term fan behaviour. 

“The results highlight that no-show behavior arises from ticket holders weighing perceived value against perceived opportunity costs. To reduce no-shows, clubs should focus on increasing the former while lowering the latter,” Dr. Schreyer told ESSMA. “While reminders alone are unlikely to change season ticket holder behavior, combining them with incentives that boost perceived value shows promise,” he added.

Not All Season Ticket Holders Are Alike 

An important insight from Dr. Schreyer’s study is that season ticket holders are not a uniform group. Their response to interventions varies significantly depending on loyalty level, travel distance, age, gender, and seat location. For example, fans with mid-level engagement — those who attended 5–7 of the previous 13 matches — were most responsive to incentives. Highly loyal fans, in contrast, didn’t require encouragement. Meanwhile, disengaged fans showed little reaction regardless of the message. 

What Does This Mean for Clubs? 

While reminders and incentives can help in the short term, sustainable fan attendance requires more strategic, long-term engagement. Clubs are encouraged to: 

  • Segment their STH base more thoughtfully, recognising diverse motivations and behaviours. 

  • Invest in better fan data and feedback systems to personalise outreach. 

  • Explore digital storytelling and engagement campaigns that reinforce emotional connection, community identity, and anticipation beyond the match itself. 

Why It Matters for ESSMA Members 

The relevance of this research extends across our ESSMA community. From fan experience teams to stadium operations and commercial departments, understanding what drives actual matchday attendance is essential for delivering consistent, high-quality experiences. No-shows are not just an operational issue — they touch on the very heart of stadium engagement and club culture. 

ESSMA is proud to highlight this kind of applied academic research, which offers concrete, data-backed insights for football organisations seeking to improve their matchday atmosphere and attendance. 

The study “Using reminders with reward opportunities to reduce spectator no-show behavior” was authored by Dr. Dominik Schreyer (WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management), along with co-authors Steve J. Bickley, Ho Fai (Ben) Chan, Sascha L. Schmidt, and Benno Torgler. It is published in the Journal of Business Research, Vol. 193, 2025, and you can download it for free via the link below until May 15, 2025. 

https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1kqPvXj-jnV3B 

 

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