Study challenges assumption that commercialism kills fan loyalty in sports
A Swedish research team found that increased commercialization doesn't necessarily harm fan engagement—and in women's football, it may actually strengthen it. The finding upends conventional wisdom in sports management and suggests media rights investments and sponsorship deals could drive growth without alienating core audiences.
Originaltitel: The influence of perceived commercialization and authenticity on fan engagement: insights from men's and women's elite football leagues in Sweden
Research questionIn both research and public discourse, elite football has been criticized for being too commercial, potentially damaging the perceived authenticity of the sport and reducing the willingness of fans to engage with their teams. However, most research on this topic has focused on men's elite football leagues, largely ignoring effects in the less commercialized context of women's elite football. To address this gap, this study aims to analyse and compare the effects of perceived commercialization on the perception of authenticity and fan engagement in women's and men's elite football.Research methodsA survey of 1168 fans of two top division men's teams and one top division women's team in Sweden was conducted. The data were analysed through moderated mediation analysis.Results and FindingsWe find that perceived commercialization of the football league is not necessarily bad for the perceptions of authenticity and fan engagement. In fact, in Sweden, particularly in women's elite football, increased commercialization is positively related to some aspects of authenticity and fan engagement.ImplicationsThe results of this study provide an important contrast and addition to those of previous studies, which have been critical of the effects of the commercialization of elite football on fans. We show that, in settings beyond the most commercial football leagues, such as women's elite football, commercialization may foster a more credible league and therefore make it more appealing for fans to engage with a particular team and the league.