Examining the behavioral manifestations of fan avidity in sports marketing

Wayne S. DeSarbo, Robert Madrigal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

PurposeThe sports industry is one of the fastest growing business sectors in the world today and its primary source of revenue is derived from fans. Yet, little is known about fans' allocation of time, effort, and/or financial expenditures in regard to the sports they care so desperately about. The purpose of this paper is to explore the multidimensional aspects of such manifestations of fan avidity and examine the nature of heterogeneity of such expressions. Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a student sample of football fans from a well-known US university. FindingsIn total, 35 different expressions of fan avidity are developed related to how fans follow and support their favorite team. A spatial choice multidimensional scaling model is developed to uncover four latent dimensions of fan avidity expression. Originality/valueThe managerial aspects of these empirical findings are provided, and the authors suggest several directions for future research.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)79-99
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of Modelling in Management
Volume6
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Decision Sciences(all)
  • Strategy and Management
  • Management Science and Operations Research

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