This study examined the effects of the fulfilment of sport consumption motives on fan commitment and the effects of the latter on loyal fan behaviour.
Abstract
Our study aims to identify the effects of the fulfilment of sport consumption motives on the components of fan commitment and their effects on loyal fan behaviour. Utilising a sample of 707 business psychology students, we measured the fulfilment of sport consumption motives, fan commitment and loyal fan behaviour with regard to football teams of the first German division and analysed the relationship of these constructs by applying partial least squares path modelling.
One of our key findings is that sport consumption motives are highly correlated. Furthermore, our results reveal that, in descending order, the fulfilment of group affiliation, self-achievement, entertainment, eustress, and aesthetic motives have an impact on affective fan commitment, which, in turn, affects loyal fan behaviour.
Amongst others, our results indicate that sport consumption motives and their fulfilment should be understood as complex phenomena on multiple interrelated dimensions, which could be utilised in segmenting sport fans. With the aim of strengthening loyal fan behaviour, sports managers should aim for an emotional positioning of their sports team and focus on fulfilling group affiliation and self-achievement motives with first priority, entertainment and eustress motives with second priority, and aesthetic motives with third priority.