The demand for professional sporting events is largely dependent on the athletic performance presented. Event organizers try to mitigate this risk by investing more in the participating athletes and integrating additional offerings into the event. Both strategies aim to enhance the quality of an event from the customer's perspective, thereby fostering stronger customer loyalty and ultimately achieving greater event success. But what exactly constitutes the quality of a sporting event from the spectators' viewpoint? This work develops a theoretically derived and empirically validated approach to this question. It simultaneously provides a planning aid for the management of sporting events.