The Dominance of Fandom: An Analysis of How Gender and Fandom Impact Live and Non-Live Sport Event Consumption Behaviours.

AbstractThis quantitative study featuring a representative sample from four Canadian regions (<italic>n</italic> = 1,011) investigates the impact of fandom and gender on 12 consumption behaviors pertaining to the 2019 NBA Championships. To analyze the panel survey results, multivariate multiple and ordinal probit regressions were used to measure the impact of gender, fandom, and the gender-fandom interaction on live and non-live consumption behaviors respectively. Fandom significantly predicted all 12 consumption behaviors, while gender and the fandom-gender interaction only significantly impacted live television consumption. Specifically, men viewed more live games <italic>via</italic> television than women, driven in-large-part by non-fan men viewing more games than non-fan women. Results indicated fandom is the dominant driver of consumption, stressing its importance and inclusion within academic and marketing decisions, with gender playing a near negligible role. Yet, given live television viewing is a gateway consumption behavior, strategies targeting gender parity should target this consumption mode, particularly among non-fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]