Nels Popp

Do college athletics marketers convert social media growth into ticket sales

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between growth in social media engagement, as defined by annual percentage increase in Facebook Likes and Twitter Followers, of US college athletics departments and outcome metrics of attendance and ticket revenue. Design/methodology/approach Regression models were developed to determine the amount of variance in dependent variables (attendance and ticket revenue) could be explained by several independent variables, including team success, team history, conference affiliation, Facebook Likes, and Twitter Followers. Four years of data were collected for each variable. Findings The regression models predicted between 53 and 88 percent of the variance among dependent variables. Social media measures, however, were not statistically significant predictors of attendance or ticket revenue. Research limitations/implications The number of Facebook Likes and Twitter Followers were used as a proxy measure of social media engagement. While growth in Likes and Followers are a popular and convenient gauge of social media engagement, they represent a single measure of a multi-faceted construct. Also, data were limited to public university athletics departments, which are required to disclose annual ticket revenue. Findings may not be generalizable to other sport organizations. Practical implications The findings suggest growing social media interactions may not necessarily achieve marketing objectives related to increasing attendance or ticket revenue. Originality/value While numerous studies have examined the impact of social media on sport organizations, no prior studies have attempted to draw empirical connections between social media marketing efforts and revenue measures within sport organizations. This study represents the first to begin to examine this relationship.

Factors Impacting Ticket Price Paid by Consumers on the Secondary Market for a Major Sporting Event

In an era of dynamically priced tickets, sport marketers benefit from a greater understanding of factors impacting the price consumers are willing to pay. Past research has investigated external factors affecting ticket price on the secondary market, but little work has investigated internal factors and no prior research has utilized actual price paid as a dependent variable. The current study found age, income, prior attendance, timing of purchase, and seat location influenced secondary ticket price paid, explaining 44.9% of the variance, while fan identification and alumni status did not impact the amount patrons paid for tickets to a major college men’s basketball tournament. Subscribe to JASM

Tomorrow’s Fans Gone Today: Assessing Constraints to Student Attendance at College Football Games

The purpose of this study was to assess constraints to student attendance at college football games. Surveys were distributed on and around six college campuses (2 “Power 5”, 2 “Group of 5”, 2 FCS) during a college football game. Using intercept sampling, students not in attendance at the game were asked to rate the extent to which 33 constraints affected their decision not to attend. Results revealed differences in constraints based on conference tier affiliation, frequency of game attendance, and timing of decision not to attend. Implications for practitioners are discussed. Subscribe to JASM

Here’s the Pitch: The Dilemma of Selecting a New Outdoor Playing Field for Sunshine State University

The outdoor athletic fields of Sunshine State University are in poor condition. Overuse, insufficient drainage, and a lack of human and financial resources have contributed to the fields’ deterioration. Sunshine State University’s director of athletics, Emily Rodriguez, has decided to replace the existing fields, but that decision is just the tip of the iceberg. Rodriguez now must decide on a natural or synthetic surface for the new fields. This decision is complex because cost, maintenance, durability, player safety, and player preference must all be considered. Both surfaces have their advantages and disadvantages. In the end, Rodriguez must decide which surface is right for Sunshine State University.