ABSTRACT Research objectives Multi-club ownership (MCO) is often assumed to enhance talent mobility and squad depth, but its impact on on-field success remains under-researched. The current study investigated whether MCO improves affiliated clubs’ sporting outcomes and explored how performance effects vary across ownership models, network structures, and a club’s role within its MCO network. Research methods We used a difference-in-differences method to analyze a new panel dataset comprising 2,060 club-season observations from 116 MCO-affiliated professional football clubs and 232 independently owned control clubs selected via stratified nearest-neighbor matching. The data analyzed spanned 31 seasons from 1993/1994 to 2023/2024 and covered 348 professional clubs in 46 national leagues in major football markets across six regions. Results and findings MCO affiliation was not associated with systematic improvements in a club’s league performance. This null result holds across most ownership models (private equity vs. football groups), network structures (vertical vs. horizontal), and hierarchical roles within MCO networks (flagship vs. feeder). Implications Our findings challenge the prevailing narrative that MCO automatically leads to performance benefits, as ownership type alone does not seem to be a key factor in sporting success. Hence, MCO networks may not necessarily offer a competitive advantage for clubs in the short to medium term, and independently owned clubs could be just as well-positioned to succeed while avoiding threats to their autonomy or identity.

ABSTRACT Research Question This study investigates how Olympic media exposure moderates the trickle-down effect (TDE) of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Korean sport club memberships. By analyzing interaction effects between media exposure and sporting success (athlete representation and medal wins), and by accounting for gender differences, it offers new insights into how distant mega-events influence sport participation through mediated exposure. Research Methods Four regression models were estimated separately for men and women to examine how sporting success and its interaction with media exposure influenced one-year and two-year post-Olympic changes in sport club membership. All models included key control variables such as professional league status, regional population, GDP per capita, and number of sport facilities. Results and Findings Athlete representation and medal wins alone did not increase membership, but their effects shifted substantially once media exposure was considered. Media exposure moderated the relationship between sporting success and participation, with both direction and strength of associations varying according to the amount of media exposure. These moderating effects differed by gender: male participation increased mainly in response to visible male medal success, whereas female participation responded both to visible female athlete representation and to highly exposed male medal success. Implications By empirically demonstrating media exposure as a key moderating mechanism, this study advances the theoretical understanding of the TDE and highlights how mediated visibility shapes participation in non-host contexts. The findings underscore the importance of strategic and equitable media coverage for leveraging sporting success to promote sport participation across genders.

ABSTRACT Research question We aim to explore how sociocultural elements of the integration of a women’s semi-professional football team into a men’s professional football club in Scandinavia are perceived and experienced by those involved in and impacted by the process. Research methods Our case study design draws on interview data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with eleven participants holding different roles across both the women’s and men’s clubs, including board members, administrative staff, coaches and players. Results and findings Three key sociocultural themes emerged that were central to the integration process and outcomes: (1) maintaining a culture of trust and identity as a community-rooted club, (2) perceived trust and justice in gendered hierarchies and (3) the coming together of club cultures. Our findings across these themes were somewhat contradictory, with surface-level narratives of gender equality contrasting with clear signs of gender hierarchies and resultant potential challenges and threats to long-term successful integration. Post-integration benefits for the women’s club were clear to see, particularly with increased resources, but such benefits are balanced with secondary status in the integrated club. Implications Our findings demonstrate the importance of research on mergers and integrations of sport organisations adopting multi-level and nuanced perspectives. This is because processes, outcomes, opportunities and threats span strategic and sociocultural elements, are highly context-specific and influence different actors and stakeholders in different ways and at different times. Such research can support the development of post-integration plans that are dynamic and address changing contexts, needs and priorities.

ABSTRACT Research question This study extends research on place attachment and fan identification, which primarily rely on qualitative methods and unidimensional conceptualisations. It examines the multidimensional nature of place attachment, drawing on environmental psychology and social identity theory, to explore how these dimensions relate to fanship, fandom, and loyalty among local sport fans. Research methods The study uses a sample of 404 local fans from a mid-level sport team, combining structural equation modelling with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to explore the antecedents of fanship, fandom, and loyalty. Results and Findings The findings focus on the interplay between fanship, fandom, place attachment, and loyalty. Results reveal that two dimensions of place attachment, social bonds and place dependence, are positively associated with fanship and fandom. In turn, fanship positively relates to attitudinal and behavioural loyalty, and fandom only to behavioural loyalty. Implications Our results suggest that mid-level teams should leverage different dimensions of place attachment to cultivate fanship and fandom. Marketing efforts should thus foster emotional connections and create spaces for social bonding in physical and online spaces. This may be salient for teams with poor performance, where fostering community and fan identity is essential for sustained engagement.

ABSTRACT Research question This study explored (1) how participants’ well-being changed after a running event from both hedonic (i.e. positive emotion and life satisfaction) and eudaimonic (i.e. engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment) perspectives and (2) how these changes differed between participants who ran for charity and those who did not. Research methods Using a pre–post design, we collected data from participants of the 2024 Reykjavik Marathon (N = 180). A repeated-measures ANCOVA was employed to test the research questions. Results and findings (1) Participants experienced increases in positive emotion and accomplishment following the event. (2) Engagement increased after the event for participants who ran for charity but not for those who did not. Implications The findings extend the literature by demonstrating that sport event participation and its interaction with charity involvement generate dimension-specific changes in well-being, rather than uniform improvements across outcomes. Practically, the results suggest that event organizers can enhance participants’ positive emotion and sense of accomplishment through goal-oriented event design, while charity components may further strengthen engagement by linking participation to meaningful social impact.

ABSTRACT Research question The topic of soccer supporters exiting requires intensive research but has only been addressed sporadically so far, with reviews that offer a structured synthesis of existing evidence completely lacking. The purpose of this scoping review is therefore to compile and analyse existing knowledge to address the explorative research question: What is known from the existing literature about soccer supporters’ exit? Research methods While focusing on European soccer at the club level, this review follows the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley (2005). By searching databases and journals (in the fields of sport (management), sociology, and psychology), along with a backward and forward search, 28 suitable studies were included. Results and findings A definition or precise identification of soccer supporters’ exit has not yet been established. Various dimensions of this concept could be identified and differentiated, including the three fan behaviours of an exit from soccer (club and in principle), support of another soccer club, and change in support of a soccer club. Furthermore, six possible reasons for exiting were identified: prioritisation of commercialisation efforts, problems concerning governance, globalisation, impairments to the attractiveness of soccer, personal circumstances, and potential interactions/influences between supporters. Additionally, a processual nature of the structure of dissatisfaction was identified concerning the topic. Implications This review brings together various studies concerning soccer supporters’ exit under the unifying theoretical exit-voice-loyalty framework (Hirschman, 1970). Furthermore, it offers a preliminary definition of the exit of soccer supporters, which in turn provides various starting points for future quantitative, qualitative, and conceptual-schematic research.

ABSTRACT Research question Prior research on the value of sponsorship for companies yields mixed evidence. While many studies focus on naming rights for sport venues, few have explored the impact of naming rights for professional league teams on firm value. This paper addresses this gap by examining the short – and long-term effects of corporate naming of professional league teams in China on firm value. Research methods We employ ordinary least squares (OLS) and instrumental variable (IV) regressions in our empirical analyses. Our sample includes 41 listed firms from China’s A-shares, the Heng Sang Index, the New York Stock Exchange, and Nasdaq, each of which sponsored a team in a Chinese professional sport league. Results and Findings In the short term, naming a league team has a negative impact on firm value, as indicated by significantly negative cumulative abnormal returns. In the long term, however, naming sponsorship is associated with a positive effect on firm value, reflected in an increase in Tobin’s Q. These findings remain robust after addressing endogeneity concerns through instrumental variable and matching techniques. Implications Our findings suggest that increased sponsorship spending does not automatically translate into better firm performance. Companies should regularly and carefully assess the cost-effectiveness and strategic value of such investments. Realizing long-term benefits from naming sponsorships requires consistency, planning, and alignment with the team’s development. Firms should approach sponsorship decisions with a long-term perspective and be prepared for sustained engagement to enhance firm value effectively.

ABSTRACT Research Questions The study examines how digital platforms shape the construction and expression of sport fan identities within visually mediated and data-driven online environments. It addresses three key questions: (1) How do fan-generated images on Instagram reflect emerging forms of identity construction that extend beyond traditional sport fandom frameworks? (2) What mechanisms underpin the identity expressions in visual, platform-based contexts? (3) How can the mechanisms contribute to the refinement of existing identity theories in sport management? Research Methods The analysis draws on 355,043 fan-generated Instagram posts from Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) games collected between January and June 2023. A multi-stage visual analysis was conducted, in which images collected via team and venue hashtags were processed using the Google Cloud Vision API and validated with deep learning models (ResNet-50 and VGG16) alongside expert review. Semantic clustering, statistical analysis, and interpretive coding were employed to identify identity patterns and to develop the Visual Identity Transformation (VIT) Framework. Results and Findings The findings reveal three interrelated mechanisms of digital fan identity formation: Environmentally Anchored Identity, grounded in spatial and collective expressions of fandom; Materially Embedded Identity, shaped by tangible symbols and performative practices; and Spatially Integrated Identity, which connects spatial and temporal dimensions to construct continuous narratives. The mechanisms extend and adapt existing theories of narrative identity, performative identity, and place attachment to visual and platform-based contexts. The results also highlight the cultural specificity of KBO fandom and highlight the need for comparative research to test the framework across diverse cultural and sporting settings. Implications The study advances theoretical understanding of sport fan identity as a visually mediated and platform-dependent phenomenon. It provides a conceptual foundation for future cross-context research and offers practical insights for sport organizations seeking to engage audiences and build brand communities within visual and algorithmically driven media environments.

ABSTRACT Research question While the benefits of place branding through sport events (PBtSE) are often highlighted in literature, research to date is disjointed, lacking in theoretical grounding and established connections between place branding and sport events as tourism products. This study provides a comprehensive review of the PBtSE literature and sets a research agenda to advance the field. Research methods Following PRISMA guidelines, this review comprises 540 peer-reviewed articles published between 1984 and 2023 (Scopus and Web of Science). We employed co-word analysis to examine thematic relationships within the PBtSE literature, followed by a review protocol capturing and assessing the application of theories-contexts-characteristics-methods (TCCM). Results and findings Four clusters of thematic relationships were identified, and most PBtSE studies lack clear theoretical lenses. Europe is the most studied region, while the Olympic Games are the most common event. Numerous variables related to the hosts and events have been examined, and most studies rely on questionnaire data. Implications This study provides a roadmap of the state of PBtSE and sets the basis for future developments. By uncovering relationships within PBtSE research, theories, contexts, characteristics and methods, this study identifies strengths and weaknesses in the literature and provides new directions to expand knowledge of PBtSE and guide managerial practices.