Sport attendance behavior spectrum: motivators, constraints and context
International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship
ISSN: 1464-6668
Article publication date: 15 September 2020
Issue publication date: 14 June 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to explore a new sport attendance behavior spectrum framework where sport consumer behavior is not derived from just a dichotomy of a motivator positively impacting attendance or a constraint negatively impacting attendance. Rather, when accounting for the context of the setting (e.g. sport, playing level, locality, patron type, etc.), some areas belong on a spectrum that fluctuates between positive and negative impacts on attendance that are dependent on the context of the given environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Through factor analysis and structural equation modeling, the proposed model attempted to explain relationships between five second-order factors and game attendance, which expanded to include the new internal contextual and external contextual factors, and ultimately team fandom.
Findings
The results indicated three significant main effects where internal contextual exhibited a positive relationship with attendance, while constraints and external contextual demonstrated a negative relationship. Internal and external motives were not significant. Further, the moderating effect of high and low sport interest groupings largely indicated no significant spectator differences. The model explained 24% of the variance in attendance, and attendance accounted for 41% of the variance in team fandom.
Originality/value
Attendance is intricate, and this study highlighted the importance of considering and adapting to the sporting context as some factors exist on a sport attendance behavior spectrum and differently impact spectators positively or negatively, given the context of the setting. Further, in this lower-level sport setting, consumers viewed minor league hockey more as a leisure commodity than a premier sport contest.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The first author would like to thank Roanoke College for the Faculty Research Grant that assisted in making this work possible.Disclosure statement: No potential conflicts of interest are reported by the authors.
Citation
Mayer, K.C. and Hungenberg, E. (2021), "Sport attendance behavior spectrum: motivators, constraints and context", International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 566-587. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-04-2020-0070
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited