T. Christopher Greenwell

An analysis of spectator motives and media consumption behaviour in an individual combat sport: cross-national differences between American and South Korean Mixed Martial Arts fans

This study compared the motives and media consumption behaviours of American and South Korean spectators of Mixed Martial Arts. Significant cross-national differences were noted in sport interest, vicarious achievement, aesthetics, national pride and violence. Backward regression analyses indicated that sport interest, fighter interest and drama predicted media consumption at the American event, while sport interest, drama and adoration were significant predictors at the Korean event.

Collaboration in Sport Research: A Case from the Field

Faculty members mindful of the ticking tenure and promotion clock seek ways to balance the competing and sometimes overwhelming demands of research, teaching, and service. One way to balance these demands is to fi nd opportunities for collaboration with colleagues, especially in the area of research. There are several compelling reasons to pursue joint research projects with colleagues; however, there are also diffi culties inherent in the collaboration process. This article will discuss the benefi ts and challenges of working on collaborative research projects with colleagues from the same discipline as well as across disciplines. As members of a team actively involved in several research projects and presentations, we use our own experiences to discuss effective strategies of collaboration.

Is violence used to promote Mixed Martial Arts

This study examines how Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events are marketed in order to understand the role of violence in promoting events. Researchers examined 134 pieces of promotional artwork and 57 promotional news releases by MMA organisations across North America, Asia and Europe and found that 18 (13.4%) pieces of promotional artwork used violent text or imagery. Violent text was found in 12 (21%) of the 57 news releases. Violence was typically limited to smaller or European organisations. Results illustrate an evolution of the sport, suggesting violence may no longer be necessary to promote events.

Site Selection, Satisfaction, and Intent to Return: An Exploratory Study of the Perceptions of Rights Holders of Small-Scale Sporting Events

The study examined sporting event rights holders’ perceptions of factors related to their last event and identified factors germane to intentions to return. Results showed that event facility (M = 6.24, SD = .62), accommodations (M = 6.08, SD = .51), security (M = 6.04, SD = .82), supportiveness (M = 5.82, SD = .95), and travel/access (M = 5.50, SD = .91) were important site characteristics for rights holders. Discriminant analysis suggested returners rated higher than doubters on security (M = 6.31), facility (M = 6.36), accommodations (M = 6.18), and supportiveness (M = 5.77). This study was exploratory and has implications for destination marketers.

Professional niche sports sponsorship: an investigation of sponsorship selection criteria

This study surveys professional niche sports sponsors in an effort to empirically understand what selection criteria these companies deem important when evaluating professional niche sports sponsorship proposals. Findings suggest that professional niche sports properties may possess unique attributes on which sponsors place very high levels of importance, such as cost effectiveness, flexibility in assisting sponsors achieve their objectives, a more targeted fan-base and decreased sponsorship clutter. Pragmatically, findings provide professional niche sports managers with tools that may be useful when competing for sponsorship funding against more established mainstream sports properties. Theoretically, the current study begins to fill a gap in the sports sponsorship literature which has primarily focused on mainstream professional sports, major intercollegiate sports and elite amateur sports such as the Olympic Games.

Understanding spectator expectations: an analysis of niche sports

In order to provide an experience that meets or exceeds a spectator’s expectations, it is important to understand customers’ expectations. Given sport consumers may have experience with similar service providers or similar products, it is important for sport managers to understand which sporting events spectators may be comparing when constructing their expectations. Results from this study suggest spectators may base their expectations on sports they are most familiar with and other sports competing at a similar level. Further, results suggest spectators’ attendance intentions are more likely to be based on predictive expectations when spectators have direct experience with a sport, but based on ideal expectations when experience is limited.

A comparative analysis of cultural value orientations for understanding sport fan motivations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between cultural value orientations and sport fan motivations. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from American and Korean college students. Three separate multivariate analysis of covariance revealed sport fan motivations differ across nationality and cultural value orientation. Findings – The current study provided empirical support for the assumption that individualism-collectivism influences sport fan motivations and geographically different sport consumers. Also, the outcomes were consistent with the previous literature which found sport fan motivations differ across nationality (the USA and South Korea). Originality/value – In combination with prior research, the findings of this study offer suggestions for how marketers could differentiate their marketing strategies for culturally diverse sport consumers.

Using cultural factors to explore sport consumption behaviors of ethnic minority groups

Purpose – Despite the remarkable economic power and rapid growth of the Asian population in the USA, relatively little attention has been paid to this group in the sport management literature compared to African-Americans and Hispanics. In addition, sport management scholars have paid limited attention to two important cultural factors: ethnic identity and acculturation. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – This study attempted to examine a comprehensive sport consumption model for Asians by testing theoretical relationships between these two cultural factors (ethnic identity and acculturation), fan identification, and sport consumption behavior. Findings – The structural equation modeling results indicated that ethnic identity indirectly affected consumption of sport products reflecting attributes of a native country, e.g. ethnic player popular sports in a native country through identification with the sport products. In contrast acculturation indirectly affected consumptio...

Consumption of niche sports: understanding which product attributes predict consumption across different levels of team identification

Niche sports seldom command the sponsorship or media dollars of their mainstream counterparts, depending instead on direct revenues generated from their fan bases to sustain their business. Given niche sports’ consumer bases are often comprised of a significant percentage of lesser-identified customers, the purpose of this study was to examine differences in perceptions of niche sport attributes between highly identified and lesser-identified sport consumers. Specifically, this study examined which niche sport specific attributes were most predictive of consumption (frequency of attendance, media consumption, and merchandise consumption) for each segment. Using a sample of 410 minor league baseball consumers, this study found that accessibility predicted consumption for both consumer segments. The primary differences were that player similarity predicted consumption for lesser-identified respondents, while star power predicted consumption for highly identified fans. Affordability was negatively related to media and merchandise consumption for the lesser-identified spectators.