Shining stars, unpredictable outcomes: the impact of outcome uncertainty and star power on the online attention of the Chinese Football Association Super League

Against the backdrop of digital consumption, this study investigates the determinants of digital audience demand for the rapidly expanding Chinese Super League (CSL). Utilizing various OLS specifications to model online attention as a measure of sports demand, our findings reveal that the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis (UOH) is not supported in the digital realm. Instead, the star power hypothesis (SPH) is validated, with evidence showing that matches featuring marquee foreign players and higher combined salaries attract more Chinese football fans on both mobile and PC platforms. This suggests that digital audiences prioritize star quantity and quality over competitive balance, aligning with the notion of 'sporting entertainment' observed in prior research. Additionally, the study underscores the evolving nature of sports consumption in the digital age, where audience engagement transcends traditional spatio-temporal limitations and reflects diverse personal preferences and consumption patterns. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors driving digital demand for professional sports and offer practical implications for league managers and marketers in optimizing audience engagement strategies.