Spectator Sport Research Articles

Sport spectator well-being: a scoping review

ABSTRACT A clear understanding of sport consumer well-being is central to enriching research on the interaction between sport organizations and consumers, and more tangibly, to advancing public policy. This research offers a scoping review of existing studies on the well-being of sport spectators, resulting in the formulation of a Sport Spectator Well-being Process Model designed to direct future research endeavors. The review includes 76 peer-reviewed articles comprising reviews, qualitative and quantitative studies. A dual approach of frequency and thematic analysis was utilized to synthesize the findings. The frequency analysis highlighted an increasing trend in relevant publications over time, and the thematic analysis informed the development of a conceptual model of the four key stages of the sport spectator well-being process. The review also identified three significant research gaps: (1) the narrow scope of research contexts, (2) a limited range of theoretical frameworks employed and (3) challenges in research methodology. The findings significantly contribute to the transformative sport service research by integrating positive psychology concepts into the discourse on sport spectator well-being. The conceptual model is vital for researchers exploring the intricate relationship between sport spectatorship and spectator well-being, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of this significant topic.

Examining the sustainable leisure and business values in sporting events and lottery analyses development

Purpose: This study aims to clarify the meaning of sport analysis, explore the contributions derived from sporting event analysts, and highlights the importance of responsible sport gambling. It also investigates how sustainable practices can be integrated into sports analysis to enhance social well-being. Design/methodology/approach: Secondary text data from government documents, news articles, and website information were extracted by searching keywords such as sports lottery and sports analysis in traditional Chinese, and then analyzed to establish the research framework and scope. Subsequently, 18 interviews were conducted with stakeholders to gain deeper insights. Findings: The content analyses reveals that sport analysis tends to be sport data science. Sporting event analysts may contribute to improving the performance of players or a team, enhancing spectator sports, and increasing sports lottery revenues. In the leisure aspect, the professionalism of sporting event analysts not only increases epistemic and entertainment values in spectator sports but also boosts engagement with sport lotteries. To ensure these enhancements remain beneficial, it is vital to emphasize responsible sport gambling and sustainable practices that protect vulnerable groups and promote long-term health benefits for those involved in sports. The integration of sustainable practices in sport analysis and the expertise of sporting event analysts can significantly advance economic and social development by generating funds through sport lottery industry for athlete programs, sports infrastructure, and educational initiatives, aligning with multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the professionalism of these analysts may enhance public understanding and engagement of sports, promoting increased participation in sports, reducing healthcare costs, and contributing to the development of a healthier and more resilient society. Originality: Emphasizing responsible sports gambling is essential to the sustainability of sports lotteries and the role of sporting event analysts.

Sports Spectatorship As a Leisure Activity: The Role of Leisure Literacy in Predicting Motives

Sports Spectatorship As a Leisure Activity: The Role of Leisure Literacy in Predicting Motives

Socioeconomic position and sports in the US today: the economic and cultural capital of sports followers

PurposeThis study aims to explore the relationship between social class and sports following in the United States, addressing a gap in research that has largely overlooked spectator sports in sociocultural analyses. The paper seeks to be an expanded update on previous work focusing on how socioeconomic factors such as income and education interact with sports engagement.Design/methodology/approachEmploying 2023 national survey data from the United States, this study analyzes the following of 31 different spectator sports in relation to income and education. The methods include the use of Cramer’s V statistic to assess associations between sports following and socioeconomic variables and multiple logistic regression analysis to understand the relative predictive power of these variables on sports following.FindingsThe study reveals significant socioeconomic associations in sports consumption patterns in American society, with higher income and education levels generally predicting an increased likelihood of following a wide range of sports. Notably, international soccer leagues like the English Premier League and La Liga showed the strongest associations with higher socioeconomic status, suggesting their following might serve as particularly potent markers of sociocultural distinction.Originality/valueThis research provides a contemporary empirical update to the study of social class and spectator sports in the US, expanding the understanding of the evolving landscape of sports consumption and its socioeconomic connections. It underscores the importance of considering sports following as a vital aspect of cultural engagement, reflecting and reproducing broader socioeconomic stratifications. The findings offer new insights into how factors of social class shape sports consumption today, highlighting the role of sports in the cultural life of different social classes in the US.

Examining the Influence of Sports Appreciation on Sports Engagement and Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Sport Type among Taiwanese Pupils

This study examines the impact of sports participation and appreciation on sports identification and engagement with sports spectatorship with the sport type as a moderator through a perspective of the social and emotional development of elementary school students in Taiwan. This research specifically explores the influence of baseball and badminton activities on students’ engagement and connection with sports. An experimental design, supplemented with questionnaires, was utilized, involving 111 students from middle and upper grades who either participated in a recreational sports camp or did not. This study aimed to uncover quasi-causal relationships among active sports participation, personal identification with sports, and spectator behaviors. Pre- and post-camp surveys indicated that participation in sports camps significantly enhanced sports identification and interest in spectating, particularly in baseball, because of more frequent viewing opportunities. The findings highlight the importance of the type of sport and the level of identification with it in sustaining an ongoing interest in sports spectatorship. Interestingly, introducing spectatorship at badminton camps resulted in decreased sports identification and engagement intentions, suggesting that programs must be tailored to developmental needs and meet the abilities of young learners to be effective.

Discussion on Perceived Quality of Spectator Sports:

Discussion on Perceived Quality of Spectator Sports:

Sports-Related Sudden Cardiac Death (SSCD): Insights into Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Preventive Strategies

Sports-Related Sudden cardiac death (SSCD) is a tragic and emotionally impacting event generating considerable attention in the community and media. It is a leading cause of mortality in the athletic population. Although rare, it causes a shock as those athletes are health models for the sports spectators. The current focused review aims to highlight the latest evidence regarding this important topic and provide a baseline introduction to future related research. The literature review was done through scientific search engines (Scopus, google scholar, Science Direct, Research gate, and PubMed). The inclusion criteria covered the full access English language Sources published between 2002 till 2022. The current review describes the main issues related to the SSCD such as the definition, epidemiology, etiology, risk factors, warning signs and symptoms, role of screening, prevention and management, COVID-19 and SSCD, and future directions. This review highlights key insights into Sports-Related Sudden Cardiac Death (SSCD) and provides a foundation for future research to improve understanding and prevention.

B - 52 A Pilot Study for the Responsible Concussion Commentary Checklist: Evaluating Commentary of Head Injury Assessment in the Australian National Rugby League

Abstract Objective Focus on sport-related concussion has increased due to growing concerns regarding the long-term effects of repeated concussion. To improve player safety, some sports have adopted new injury assessment and management protocols. These efforts may be undercut by the live media coverage of concussion, which is known to downplay concussion. This pilot study explored how live sports commentary from the Australian National Rugby League portrays concussion in the context of the newly introduced Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocol. Method 15 concussions were randomly selected from the 69 HIA-tiggering events from rounds 1 to 8 of the 2024 season. The live commentary for those events was evaluated using a concussion commentary checklist. This multi-item checklist was developed from existing recommendations for the responsible reporting of concussion. The checklist evaluated the extent to which the commentary met the gold standard requirements (e.g., used the correct injury terminology) and yielded an overall impression score (commentary quality). Results Impression ratings revealed that the commentary was rarely scored as high quality, indicating that it did not meet the gold standard expected for accurate and responsible commentary of on field instances of suspected concussion. The scores for the individual checklist items were also frequently low. Commonly identified issues included the use of incorrect injury terminology and injury minimisation. Conclusion This pilot study showed that the live commentary of suspected concussion was poor. The findings have implications for concussion awareness through changed practices in live sports commentary. Commentary guidance is needed to prevent the spread of misinformation about concussion among sport spectators.

A multidimensional scale for assessing sport fan well-being: an examination in the context of professional baseball

ABSTRACT Purpose The purposes of this research are to (1) introduce a four-dimensional (hedonic, eudainomic, social, and physical) conceptualization of fan well-being in spectator sport and (2) present evidence for the reliability and validity of the multidimensional scale of fan well-being. Methodology Data were collected from professional baseball spectators in Japan. Through an exploratory factor analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis, we assessed the factor structure of sport fan well-being, operationalized by a final set of 18 items. Findings Study 1 supports the four-factor structure of the scale, including a new dimension of physical fan well-being. In Study 2, the findings provide evidence for the construct validity of the measurement model and suggest that the four well-being dimensions are positively associated with previously validated scales (flourishing and life satisfaction) and can be integrated into a second-order latent construct. Practical implications Given the conceptual distinction between physical fan well-being and the other three dimensions, sport teams should provide fans with (1) cheering activities that are easy to understand and follow and (2) healthy food choices that allow fans to control body weight and prevent obesity. Research contribution This study extends previous research by integrating a new dimension of physical fan well-being, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis of context-specific well-being in spectator sport.

Experience is all you need: a large language model application of fine-tuned GPT-3.5 and RoBERTa for aspect-based sentiment analysis of college football stadium reviews

ABSTRACT Despite extensive research in service industries, fine-grained explorations of customer experience within spectator sports remain limited. This study pioneers a transfer learning approach grounded in a post-positivism paradigm, underpinned by an integrative customer experience framework for aspect-based sentiment analysis of user-generated content, shedding light on the complexity of the college football game day experience. Three fine-tuned large language models were employed to qualitatively identify and quantitatively analyze customer experience from Tripadvisor reviews on college football stadiums. Our findings indicated that fans’ positive reactions to stimuli related to core (game dynamics), functional (facilities/services), emotional (intense feelings), and socialization (fan interactions/bonding) significantly increased the likelihood of them giving a five-star rating. Mitigating negative experiences across functional, emotional, socialization, safety, and monetary experience was crucial for achieving a top rating, with reducing negative functional issues and safety concerns having the greatest positive impact. Our study contributes to the sport management literature by establishing a unified view of customer experience, enabling a holistic conceptualization and operationalization of customer experience in spectator sports. Empirically, our research proposes targeted strategies to manage customer experience in college football and offers sport management professionals ready-to-use large language models along with detailed deployment guidelines tailored for distinct use cases.

No- and low-alcohol beer and the sponsorship of sport in Australia: An audit of sponsorship partnerships and analysis of marketing tactics.

Alcohol sponsorship of sport is associated with increased alcohol consumption. Little research to date has examined the sponsorship of sport by no- and low-alcohol (NoLo) beverage brands, despite concern that the marketing of these products might be harmful to young people. This study had dual aims: to identify sporting partnerships between NoLo beers and Australian sport, and examine marketing tactics used in social media advertising to promote these partnerships. Our sample included NoLo beers sold online from three large Australian alcohol retailers. First, we performed a qualitative content analysis of partnerships between NoLo beers and sport using publicly available online information. We then analysed the 118 social media posts of NoLo brands linked to these partnerships using a coding framework adapted from the alcohol literature. Of 34 brands, 13 had sporting sponsorship partnerships across a range of spectator and participatory sports. Key marketing tactics identified on social media were activations, time-and event-specific drinking, influencer marketing, competitions, and corporate social responsibility. In particular, NoLo brands aim to disrupt the sports drink market by advertising their products as healthy recovery drinks, or 'sports beers', through activation events. Brands are also using influencer marketing and competitions, two tactics shown to be particularly persuasive for young people. NoLo beer brands strategically align with Australian sports to promote NoLo consumption. As they are classified as soft drinks in Australia, NoLo beverages are not regulated like alcohol. Future discussions around sports sponsorship and advertising regulation must consider NoLo products.

Adolescent Health and Dark Personalities: The Role of Socioeconomic Status, Sports, and Cyber Experiences.

By investigating the impact of dark personality traits on adolescent health, this study explores the interplay among economic disadvantage, spectator sports involvement, and cyber victimization. We analyzed data from 1844 students aged 13-17 in a school district in the USA, and our findings reveal positive associations between economic disadvantage and both Machiavellianism and psychopathy, influencing negative emotions-driven eating. Spectator sports engagement exhibits links with Machiavellianism and narcissism, suggesting potential drawbacks to competitive behaviors. Cyber victimization shows associations with psychopathy and negative emotions-driven eating. The results illuminate the dynamic associations between emotional eating and health outcomes, including BMI and perceived quality of life. These findings deepen our understanding of how dark personality is shaped and subsequently influences adolescents' well-being, offering insights for targeted interventions.

Exploring the Motivations of Female Sports Spectators in Taiwan: Implications of Measuring the Motives of Female Consumers at Sporting Events

Exploring the Motivations of Female Sports Spectators in Taiwan: Implications of Measuring the Motives of Female Consumers at Sporting Events

Sport spectatorship in a virtual environment: how sensory experiences impact consumption intentions

Sport spectatorship in a virtual environment: how sensory experiences impact consumption intentions

Let’s go east Hull therms! Professional Baseball in 1930s Yorkshire and its amateur legacy

ABSTRACT British baseball had two periods when it developed professional leagues, in 1890 and the 1930s. A key element of the emergence of a professional game was transnational linkages provided by business, individuals and religion. Social and industrial links between the United States and Britain facilitated professional baseball. In the 1930s the enthusiasm for baseball by the industrialist John Moores saw the game rapidly develop from an amateur base in Liverpool to professional leagues in Lancashire, London and Yorkshire. It has been argued that, faced with hostility from elements of the media and established sports, especially cricket, establishing baseball as a professional spectator sport was challenging. The hiatus caused by World War Two left a shallow-rooted sport particularly vulnerable and it failed to re-emerge as a professional game. But the professional leagues inspired an amateur game, most notably in the city of Hull, which developed a substantial amateur league, encompassing four divisions and a women’s section by 1939. In Hull amateur baseball survived the conflict, it re-emerged with a multi-divisional format that continued into the 1960s. However, as the generation enthused by professional baseball retired from active involvement, the game receded to minuscule levels of participation.

Harmonizing Political and Marketing Aesthetics: Insights from The Chess Olympiad 2022

This article explores how the Government of Tamil Nadu, India, utilised strategic mass communication methods that emerged from a fusion of political and marketing strategies to create an aesthetic approach that elevated Chess Olympiad 2022, an event typically less in the public eye, into a spectacle that captured widespread attention by focusing on the event’s impact on their cultural identity and the subsequent construction of a narrative of global cultural leadership. The marketing strategy of the Government of Tamil Nadu, India may be considered an aesthetic application of the theory of symbolic interactionism, as it employed literary, musical arts and visual arts across Chennai, that ensured active engagement of individuals in the city with the government's aesthetic representations. These visual representations acted as symbolic cues, inviting interaction and sparking the curiosity of the the whole host city, the Government of Tamil Nadu, India succeeded in turning Chess into a spectator sport, and by doing so, forged a key place in the national identity for Chess by building a narrative of collective linguistic and cultural identity. Since all citizens do not have an expert level knowledge on government policies, the media narrative that is built around any government policy determines its perceived success. The media narrative of Chess Olympiad 2022 was the narrative of India emerging as a global leader in cultural diplomacy - a soft power approach that is shaped by aesthetics. In dissecting the intricate interplay between mass communication, aesthetics, and societal identity formation, this study elucidates the transformative role of these strategies during the Chess Olympiad 2022, highlighting their profound implications within the socio-cultural landscape.

Revisiting the novelty effect from new stadiums: An event study approach

AbstractThis analysis examines the impact of new stadiums on consumer demand for sports spectatorship in the four major US‐based professional sports leagues. Estimates from difference‐in‐differences event studies identify a transitory attendance shock from new venues that diminishes to pre‐stadium‐treatment levels within a decade. The updated estimates confirm the existence of the novelty effect in modern facilities and identify subtle differences in magnitude, certainty, and duration across leagues. Revenue estimates indicate that the substantial financial returns from constructing new stadiums likely incentivize the premature replacement of host venues when combined with typical public subsidy levels.

Examining the Relationship Between Fanatic Levels of Football Fans and Verbal, Physical and Cyberbullying Behaviors

This research; It was conducted to examine the verbal, physical and cyber bullying behaviors of football fans according to their level of fanaticism. General survey model, one of the descriptive methods, was used in the research. The study group of the study consists of 417 football fans determined by random sampling method for the supporters of the 4 big teams in the Turkish Football Federation super league in the 2020-2021 football season. Research data; To determine the level of fanaticism of football fans, Taşmektepligil et al. (2015) developed the football fanaticism scale, and the verbal physical and cyberbullying behaviors of sports spectators scale developed by Karaca (2019) were used to measure the verbal bullying, physical bullying and cyberbullying behaviors of sports spectators. The SPSS.20 analysis program was used to analyze the data of the study, and ANOVA test and correlation analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between football fans' level of fanaticism and their bullying behavior. When the findings of the research are examined; It is seen that there is a significant relationship between football fans' tendency to think and act towards violence and their verbal, physical, and cyber bullying behaviors. As a result, it can be said that the verbal, physical and cyber bullying behaviors of football fans increase as the tendency to think and act towards violence increases.

The effect of sport consumption on citizens national pride and subjective well-being

The objective of this study was to disentangle the relationships that exist between sporting success, sports consumption (i.e., sport participation, sport spectating and sport media viewing), national pride and subjective well-being. Data was collected from 374 respondents. Structural Equation Modelling was used to analyse the variables that were measured in accordance with previous studies. The model which centred on sports consumption showed a great explanatory capacity (73% and 43%). Sport participation was the factor with the highest impact on national pride and subjective well-being, even greater than the effects of sporting success and sport spectating. Another reason for the importance of citizens being physically active was noted. These results have managerial implications for sports policymakers and managers responsible for national teams and sport participation programmes. No evidence was found that higher levels of national pride directly affect subjective well-being.

Climate Change Awareness and Pro-Environmental Intentions in Sports Fans: Applying the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Model for Sustainable Spectating

(1) Background: This study explores the intricate relationship between sports and the environment, underscoring the influence of individual awareness of climate change consequences on fostering eco-friendly behavior among sports spectators. (2) Methods: The research introduces an extended theory of planned behavior model, incorporating climate change awareness. Analyzing data from 431 participants at US professional sports events, the study measured variables like climate change awareness and theory of planned behavior constructs. (3) Results: Sequential multiple mediation analysis validated the model, revealing that climate change awareness positively predicts the intention to reduce single-use plastics in the context of sport spectatorship. This relationship was partially mediated by theory of planned behavior variables, with subjective norms identified as a crucial explanatory factor. (4) Conclusions: The study’s originality lies in shedding light on pro-environmental intentions within sports spectatorship. Its insights provide foundational knowledge for researchers and organizations aiming to devise sustainability strategies in the realm of sports.