The aim of this study was to explore the impact of self-image congruence (SIC), need for uniqueness (NFU), and limited edition characteristics on sport consumer's attitude toward collaboration in limited edition product settings. The two-factor (product type: limited edition products vs. regular ongoing release products × SIC: actual vs. ideal) between-subjects experimental design was utilized using three experiments with different stimuli (i.e., Nike × Virgil Abloh, Adidas × Alexander Wang, and Puma × Ye). The results indicated that each variable had a strong relationship in separate conditions (i.e., limited edition product, regular ongoing release product). For the theoretical implications, this study extends the sport marketing literature by examining SIC as a binary concept in the sport product collaboration settings. In addition, the current study emphasizes the importance of using collaboration strategy when targeting sport consumers who are familiar with collaboration regardless of the scarcity of products.

The importance of sport sponsorship as a marketing tool has led researchers to examine many of its underlying elements. Despite having examined attitudes toward sport sponsorship, researchers have been inconsistent with the theoretical frameworks underpinning the work, and/or used theoretically distinct concepts interchangeably (i.e., attitudes and beliefs). Specifically, the existing measures for examining attitudes toward sponsorship were generally based on advertising frameworks, potentially limiting the scope of examination. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new, multidimensional instrument to measure consumers’ attitudes toward sport sponsorship. The tripartite framework for attitude formation, consisting of cognitive, affective, and conative processes, was utilized as the underlying basis for examining attitudes toward sport sponsorship. Through three samples, expert panel review, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a six-factor, 20-item scale was developed.

With the expansion of legalized sports betting in North America, sport organizations increasingly rely on public service announcements (PSAs) to promote responsible gambling. Guided by the elaboration likelihood model, this study examines how central and peripheral message processing relate to perceived PSA effectiveness and positive play outcomes, and whether these relationships vary by sports fandom and betting experience. Using a between-subjects experiment with 734 National Football League fans, multivariate multiple regression analyses indicate that central route processing is the dominant driver of perceived PSA effectiveness across informational, emotional, and behavioral dimensions, while peripheral processing plays a more limited role. Moderation analyses show that sports fandom and betting experience exert small, selective amplifying effects on the relationship between central processing and responsible gambling intentions, but do not broadly alter PSA effectiveness. These results offer practical guidance for operators and regulators, emphasizing the value of informative, direct messaging over celebrity-driven or emotionally evocative appeals in fostering responsible, positive play.

The current study used an experimental design with eye-tracking technology to examine how consumers focus their visual attention on jersey sponsorships during Major League Baseball broadcasts. Results showed that participants dedicated limited dwell time to the jersey sponsorships, and after viewing the sponsorship once, they were unlikely to revisit the sponsorship. On average, participants looked at each of the sponsors’ logos ( N = 14) for just one second and revisited each sponsorship an average of 1.81 times. Even with increased exposure to jersey sponsorships on the batting team's uniforms, participants were more likely to observe sponsorships of the team that was up to bat compared to those playing defense in the field. In addition, participants revisited the sponsorship patch on the batting teams’ jersey 2.5 more times. Therefore, practitioners need to consider how gameplay influences visual attention regarding jersey sponsorships in baseball.

Despite social media biographies (bios) being a dedicated space for communicating an account's identity, scholarly research has largely overlooked bios as an element of athlete branding. This study addresses this gap by examining how athlete bios function as strategic self-presentation tools and how audiences interpret these bios. Drawing on signaling theory and a social semiotics lens, we conducted semi-structured interviews with visual aids with 18 social media users and applied thematic analysis to explore how consumers perceive bios as elements of athlete brands on Instagram. Findings reveal that bios play important roles in communicating brand identity, establishing authenticity, and signaling brand networks. While consumer expectations varied based on athlete celebrity level, participants generally valued concise, professional bios that were cohesive with the broader profile ecosystem. These insights advance theoretical understanding and provide practical guidance for athletes and marketers aiming to craft compelling social media bios that engage social media audiences.

Leveraging the Sport Experience Design framework and Bayesian structural equation modeling, the current study represents an initial attempt to examine how sport context-centric antecedents interact with social-psychological characteristics to elicit an optimal holistic experience at a recreational participatory sport event ( n study1 = 181) and peripheral tailgating events at college football games ( n study2 = 1,246). The influence of service quality on customer satisfaction was attenuated when performance expectation was positively disconfirmed in the tailgating service, but not in the participatory sport service. Consumer involvement diminished the positive impact of service quality on satisfaction among customers of the participatory event, but not among tailgating attendees. Collectively, the results demonstrated heterogeneity in customer satisfaction, which can depend on the preexisting sport involvement of customers at participatory events of physically demanding sports but revolves around the reference-dependent assessment of service performance at tailgating events. These findings offer nuanced empirical support for the notion that sport consumer experiences would not be fully understood without considering the interaction between consumers’ social-psychological characteristics and service encounters.

This study examines the impact of esports fans’ innovativeness on licensed merchandise consumption, with fan knowledge as a mediating mechanism and psychological connection as a moderating factor. Grounded in innovation diffusion theory and the psychological continuum model, cross-sectional data from 466 active esports fans were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results show that fan innovativeness significantly predicts merchandise consumption, which is primarily mediated through knowledge about fans and knowledge for fans, whereas no significant mediation is found in knowledge from fans. Importantly, psychological connection negatively moderates these relationships such that higher emotional attachment dampens the effects of innovativeness on knowledge from fans, knowledge about fans, knowledge for fans, and purchase behavior. These findings highlight the complex interplay between emotional loyalty and cognitive openness, which suggests that strong psychological bonds may inhibit novelty-seeking behavior despite high levels of innovativeness. This study contributes to the esports marketing literature by extending sport fan behavior models to digital fandom contexts and offering strategic insights for managing emotionally engaged yet innovation-sensitive fan segments.

This international study connects sponsorship-linked marketing theories to practice by exploring team-based boundary conditions for congruence, brand clutter and equity, agency conflict (i.e., shared nationality), and the performance cycle. Are these accepted theories generalizable, at least within a common context, or does application result in heterogeneity? Employing five decades of data, we execute a longitudinal hazard model for six iconic F1 teams to discern influences to sponsorship longevity at the level of decision-making: the team-sponsor dyad ( N = 1,193). With some exceptions, the teams transcend geographic and business-to-business/consumer distinctions. Heterogeneity arises in factors characterizing the sponsoring brands (e.g., congruence only influences Ferrari's sponsorships; brand equity enhances relationships with McLaren and Williams; clutter is harmful to sponsorships with Ferrari, Red Bull, and Williams), as well as the performance cycle, which affects sponsorships with Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes. While the sponsorship literature has matured, generalizability warrants investigation as connection to practice advances.

Social media play a key role in sport marketing—with athletes, teams, and leagues directly engaging with their audiences. While Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have received much attention in the sport marketing and communication literature, research on Reddit is scant. This is particularly noteworthy, as the platform is growing rapidly and promises utility for users with nonmainstream interests to find and engage with each other. This study employs a uses and gratifications approach to investigate how prevalent Reddit use is among fans of the United Football League (UFL), what motivates users to engage with the platform, and whether Reddit use leads to increased team identification. Findings indicate a high rate of Reddit use among sports fans, driven by a combination of six distinct motivations, leading to increased identification with their favorite team.