UNDERSTANDING SPECTATORS AS CONSUMERSObjectives:•Understand similarities/differences between spectator and participantmarkets•Describe the eight basic fan motivation factors• Explain how game attractiveness, economic factors and competitive factorsrelate to game attendance•Describe the demographic profile of spectatorsand explain the changing role ofwomen as spectators•Understand the relationship between stadium factors and game attendance•Discuss the components of the sportscape model•Describe the multiple values of sport to the community• Explain sport involvement from a spectator’s perspective•Discuss the model of fan identificationSUMMARYResearch suggests that there are two distinct segments of consumers. For instance,participants tend to be male, better educated andyounger than spectators. There are a variety of factors that influence our decision to attend sporting events. Thesefactors include: fan motivation, game attractiveness, economic factors, competitivefactors, demographic factors, stadium factors, value of sport to the community,sports involvement, andfan identification.
Nascar spectators/participants
Ferreria and Armstrong 8 distinct factors influencing attendence
1.popularity of sport
2. game attractiveness
3. free offerings and promotions
4. pregame and in game
entertainment items
5. physical contact
6. convenience and accessibility
7. facility
8. cost
why spectators attend sporting events
9 different motives for fan motivation
1. vicarious achievement
2. acquisition of knowledge
3. aesthetics
4. social interaction
5.
drama/excitement
6.escape
7. family
8. physical attractiveness of participants
9. quality of physical skill
8 basic motives for watching sports
1. self-esteem enhancement
2. diversion from everyday life
3. entertainment value
4. eustress
5. economic value
6. aesthetic value
7. need for affiliation
8. family
ties
affiliated with self esteem enhancement, fan feels accomplished when team is winning
associated with self esteem enhancement, stands for basking in reflected glory, maintaining self esteem through associating with winning team
Madrigal's reason why BIRGing occurs
1. expectancy disconfirmation
2. team identification
3. quality of the opponent
associated with self esteem enhancement, cutting off reflected failure, spectators who dissociate themselves from losing teams because that negatively affects self esteem
cutting off reflected success, rebelliousness, need for individuality, linked to
the past
Diversion from everyday life
watching sports is seen as a means of getting away from it all
believed to be the most highly motivating of all factors
College football in order to keep
fans engaged rule changes
1.clock will start on kickoffs when the ball is kicked
2. changes of possession clock starts when ref starts 25 sec play clock
sports are enjoyable because they stimulate fans and are exciting to the senses
WNBA has the game not fans
Donna orender, several rule changes that shortened shot clock and quickened the pace of games, sent scoring to an all time high
motivated by the potential economic gains associated with gambling on sporting events especially among college
1. 7 of 10 adults placed wager in the last year
2. 35% male college bet on sports
3. online
generated $12 billion
4. online sports 5x bigger than las vegas, illegal 35 x bigger
5. biggest betting market value 3 bil
6. sportsbook employ over 2,000 during football
Feb 2000 senator sam brownback made betting on college and amateur illegal anywhere, 2006 house passed bill that made it illegal to use credit cards or checks for online gambling
pure art, compare bball
with ballet
need for belonging is satisfied by being a fan
fosters family togetherness, women are more likely to attend for this, fathers greatest influence on fan of specific team
situational factor that varies from game to game and week to week, quality is based on skill level of participants, team records, and league
standings
controllable economic factors
environment that can be altered such as ticket prices and perceived value of sports market
uncontrollable economic factors
average income,
population, economic health
best commissioner in sport and nba history, the all star weekend
population, age, gender, education, occupation and ethnic background
refer to variables such as the newness of the stadium, stadium access, beauty, seat comfort, cleanliness
what fans value when attending sporting events
1. parking less than $8 tickets under $25
2. easy parking
3. safe comfortable seat purchase a week prior
4. reasonably prices snacks
5. home team winning record
6. close score
7. hometown star top 10 best player
8. reasonably priced souvenirs
9. ends less than 3 hours
10. wide variety of snacks
the physical surroundings of the stadium that affect the spectators desire to stay at the stadium and ultimately return
1. stadium access
2. facility aesthetics
3. scoreboard quality
4. seating comfort
5. layout accessibility
affective response with sportscape
feeling pleasure or displeasure spectator has with stadium
behavioral responses linked to sportscape factors
desire to stay and return for future events
issues such as availability of parking, ease of entering and exiting the parking
areas, and the location of the parking relative to the stadium
exterior and interior (specifically scoreboard quality) appearance of the stadium
number 1 stadium in college sports
seating comfort and layout accessibility, biggest negative influence
perceived comfort of
the seating and the spacing of seats
whether spectators can move freely about the stadium, also must have proper signage and space allocation
8 value dimensions to sport to the community: Community Solidarity
sport enhances the image of the community, community harmony, sense of
belonging, people feel proud
8 value dimensions to sport to the community: public behavior
sport encourages sportsmanship, positive morality
8 value dimensions to sport to the community: pastime ectasy
provides entertainment and brings excitement
8 value dimensions to sport to the community: excellence pursuit
encourages achievement and success, hard work
8 value dimensions to sport to the
community: social equity
increases racial gender and class equality
8 value dimensions to sport to the community: health awareness
eliminates drugs, promotes exercise
8 value
dimensions to sport to the community: individual quality
promotes character building and competitive traits
8 value dimensions to sport to the community: business opp
increases community commercial activities, attracts tourists, eco development
8 value dimensions to sport to the community
1. community solidarity
2. public behavior
3. pastime ectasy
4. excellence pursuit
5. social equity
6. health awareness
7. individual quality
8. business opportunity
personal commitment and emotional involvement customers have with sports
organization
team characteristics, organizational characteristics, affiliation characteristics, activity characteristics that directly contribute to fan involvement
organizational characteristics
off the field success and failures
affiliation characteristics
sense of community that a fan builds as result of team
attending sporting events or being exposed to events through media
A comparative analysis of spectator involvement US UK
UK: less time watching, more read, less interested in local more likely to perceive sport as necessity
Fan identification: Low (social)
primarily for social interaction
fan identification: Medium
(focused)
identify with team or player but only for short term
fan identification: High (vested)
recruit other fans, follow team loyalty, view team as vital part of community
Managerial
benefits: decreased price sensitivity
referring to the notion that small increases in ticket prices may produce great fluctuations in demand for tickets
managerial benefits: decreased performance outcome sensitivity
fans that are vested will be more tolerant of poor
seasons