Understanding sports fan motivation : a study into fan involvement, satisfaction and loyalty

Abstract

The constructs of motivation, involvement, satisfaction, and loyalty have been extensively researched from a marketing perspective and in a sporting context. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between these constructs within a South African rugby context in order to better understand what motivates rugby fans to attend live rugby matches. An empirical study was conducted using a quantitative methodology in which primary data were collected using an online questionnaire. The findings in this study generally corroborated sentiments in existing marketing and sports literature. A key finding was that entertainment is the most prevalent motivator for live sports attendance. In contrast to existing literature, only a few of the fan motivational factors, as identified in Wann’s (1995) sports fan motivation scale, correlated with the other constructs. It was also found that no relationship exists between fan involvement and fan behavioural loyalty. The study demonstrates the utility of a relationship marketing approach for rugby brands in South Africa seeking to better understand the motivation of fans attending live rugby matches. Based on the findings, specific recommendations are made to assist rugby brands in South Africa to increase the motivation for fans to attend live rugby matches.