Sports Inspiration and Inventor Productivity

This study examines whether sports inspiration influences inventor productivity. We find that major U.S. professional sports wins of local teams promote greater patent volume from local inventors, with heightened forward citations and economic value generated. The effects are more pronounced for non-superstar inventors and underdog victories. Further analysis indicates that inventors pursuing more exploratory and cooperative innovation and the improvement in the average patent quality are potential mechanisms through which sports inspiration affects inventor productivity. Our results suggest that sports victories can inspire and motivate inventors, leading to increased productivity and impactful innovations. This research provides novel empirical evidence on the nuanced relationship between sports and inventor creativity, highlights non-monetary drivers of inventor productivity, and quantifies the real economic impacts of sports inspiration.