Deciding on major sports events

Major sports event like the World Cup of football are worldwide spectacles. Cost benefit analyses are used to determine the economic value of these events. In this thesis 18 ex ante and ex post cost benefit analyses are compared. The goal of this meta-evaluation is to get insight in the value of ex ante CBA‟s on deciding on hosting a major sports event. The focus is on large infrastructural investments because these investments mostly determine whether such a sports event will be financially attractive. The effects on tourism and employment are also researched. These effects are used often as an argument for hosting a major sports event. Costs are generally estimated too low, benefits too high, infrastructural costs too low and effects on employment and tourism are overestimated.