International Journal of Sport Management

Perceived Fan Associations with Teams across NFL, NBA MLB, and MLS

Ho Yeol Yu, DongHun Lee, Bily Hawkins, Michale Cottingham, Myungwoo Lee

Abstract: Previous research has established the significance of applying the concept of fan associations with sport teams for better team management (Gladden & Funk, 2002; Ross, James, & Vargas, 2006). However, studies of fan associations have often indicated that there are differences among fans’ perceived associations with teams across different sports (Bauer, Stokburger-Sauer, & Exler, 2008; Biscaia et al., 2016). Likewise, grounded in social identity theory, the current study examined potential similarities/differences in fan association types across four spectator sports (i.e., basketball, baseball, football, and soccer). Using a sample of 990 spectators who claimed to be a fan of major league teams (i.e., NBA, MLB, NFL, and MLS), this study conducted a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to explore between- and within-subject effects. Briefly, the results revealed across-sports variation as well as non-variation in fan’s perceived association types as discussed in the text.

Keywords: fan associations, major league sports, team brand management

Citation: Yu, H. Y., Lee, D. H., Hawkins, B., Cottingham, M., & Lee, M. (2018). Perceived fan associations with teams across NFL, NBA, MLB, and MLS. International Journal of Sport Management, 19(3), 289-314.

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