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Understanding fan motivation for interacting on social media

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  • Stavros, Constantino
  • Meng, Matthew D.
  • Westberg, Kate
  • Farrelly, Francis

Abstract

Social media provide fans with an additional means to engage with their team and are a valuable forum for sport organizations to better understand fan motivations and strengthen fan relationships. This study contributes to emerging research on the nature of social media use by revealing the motivations underpinning the desire of fans to communicate on the Facebook sites of several National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. Our findings indicate that fans exercise four key motives as they draw value from the social media enabled connection to the team: passion, hope, esteem and camaraderie. Further, and in light of our understanding of these motives, we identify how this platform can be used to facilitate interaction, a key construct in relationship marketing. A content analysis, using a netnographic methodology, was undertaken to explore online comments by fans of eight purposefully selected NBA teams over a two-week period during the off-season. This period represents strong potential for isolating highly identified fans who are motivated to seek engagement and interaction. Implications for sport managers to further relational goals are identified.

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  • Stavros, Constantino & Meng, Matthew D. & Westberg, Kate & Farrelly, Francis, 2014. "Understanding fan motivation for interacting on social media," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 455-469.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:spomar:v:17:y:2014:i:4:p:455-469
    DOI: 10.1016/j.smr.2013.11.004
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    4. Nicolas Scelles & Boris Helleu & Christophe Durand & Liliane Bonnal & Stephen Morrow, 2017. "Explaining the Number of Social Media Fans for North American and European Professional Sports Clubs with Determinants of Their Financial Value," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-19, November.
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    9. Westberg, Kate & Stavros, Constantino & Farrelly, Francis & Smith, Aaron C.T., 2020. "Fan empathy as a response to athlete transgressions," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 719-735.
    10. Camie Heleski & C. Jill Stowe & Julie Fiedler & Michael L. Peterson & Colleen Brady & Carissa Wickens & James N. MacLeod, 2020. "Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare through the Lens of ‘Social License to Operate—With an Emphasis on a U.S. Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-23, February.
    11. Kharouf, Husni & Biscaia, Rui & Garcia-Perez, Alexeis & Hickman, Ellie, 2020. "Understanding online event experience: The importance of communication, engagement and interaction," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 735-746.
    12. Xinghua Wang & James J. Zhang & Guandong Song & Xia Wan, 2020. "Push and Pull Factors Influencing the Winter Sport Tourists in China: The Case of Leisure Skiers," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, June.
    13. Adam C. Merkle & Catherine Hessick & Britton R. Leggett & Larry Goehrig & Kenneth O’Connor, 2020. "Exploring the components of brand equity amid declining ticket sales in Major League Baseball," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(3), pages 149-164, September.
    14. Berta Benito-Colio & Francisco Tomás González-Férnandez & Carlos Martínez-Cantallops & Eduardo García-Mármol, 2022. "The Engagement of the Social Networks in the ACB Basketball League," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-9, October.
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