An importance–performance analysis of media activities associated with WNBA game consumption

Abstract

Since its inception, the WNBA league and its teams have made tremendous efforts to improve their community image through high-quality mass media performance in an effort to promote consumer awareness, interest, and consumption of their game products. However, the relevance and effectiveness of these efforts remains unknown. Due to lack of financial stability, ticket sales, and spectator retention, today WNBA faces great challenges in its sustainability. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance and relevance of mass media performances associated with WNBA game consumption. Through qualitative research procedures, a questionnaire was developed that contained eight media performance, six game consumption, and 10 demographic variables. Following the conceptual framework of the ‘expectancy disconfirmation theory’, the media performance variables were phrased into two versions: importance and performance. Spectators ( N = 1431) from five regular season home games of a WNBA team responded to the questionnaire, which was randomly split into two halves: one for EFA and the other for CFA. Two identical factors emerged in the EFA and CFA for the two media performance versions: Visual Media and Audio Media. An EFA was also conducted for the game consumption variables, resulting in one game consumption factor. One-sample t-tests with adjusted alpha level revealed that the mean Visual Media and Audio Media scores in both versions were significantly ( p < .05) greater than the midpoints of the factors, indicating that media performance was considered important and satisfactory by WNBA consumers. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the media performance factors in both versions and their congruence scores were positively ( p < .05) predictive of game consumption, further indicating the importance and relevance of media performance to the success of WNBA games.