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A growing number of sport consumer behavior scholars have been employing experimental methods, especially because experiments allow researchers to gain a better understanding of causal inferences by examining controlled conditions. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to offer the current state of the adoption of experimental methods in sport consumer behavior research and (2) to discuss and highlight best practices that scholars can use when considering experimental designs. More specifically, we discuss methodological gaps existing in sport consumer behavior research by reviewing published sport consumer behavior articles in a content analysis. We also provide considerations to improve validity of empirical findings and outline the characteristics of well-designed experiments and how they can help advance theory development in the field. Ultimately, we offer practical recommendations and guidance to researchers wishing to use experiments in a wide array of research topics within sport consumer behavior.

Research question: The purpose of the current research was to examine the interaction effects between the positivity of game characteristics and different types of social experiences on fans’ evaluations of their retrospective media consumption experiences.Research method: The combination of game characteristics and the type of social experience were both manipulated variables. In the positive (negative) outcome but negative (positive) process condition, participants were asked to recall their favourite team’s game in which the team won (lost) but the game was boring (exciting). Furthermore, in the solo (joint) context condition, participants were asked to recall a game that they watched by themselves (with others).Results and findings: The results indicated that sport fans evaluated their retrospective media consumption experiences more favourably when the game outcome was positive (but the process was negative) compared to a game in which the game outcome was negative (but the process was positi...