ABSTRACT

Mobile applications specifically designed for in-stadium use during games (referred to as fan experience apps) are an emergent technological innovation in professional team sports around the globe. Drawing on behavioral reasoning theory, this study proposes and empirically tests a model to explain sport spectator adoption of fan experience apps (FEA). By considering both reasons for and reasons against adopting FEA, the model represents an important theoretical extension of existing innovation frameworks in sport marketing. Using a qualitative pre-study, I operationalized reasons using specific pro-adoption factors (i.e., enjoyment, ease of use, game-related content, and social interaction) and anti-adoption factors (i.e., distraction from the game, declining atmosphere, social risk, and data security concerns). Survey data collected among German team sport spectators (N = 792) confirmed that both reasons for adoption (positively) and reasons against adoption (negatively) influenced adoption attitudes, usage intentions, and actual use of FEA. The results indicated that reasons for adoption had a stronger relative impact on spectators’ responses to FEA than reasons against. The study also delineated the relative contribution of specific pro-adoption and anti-adoption factors to overall reasons for and against adoption. The findings imply that FEA developers, marketing communications directed at potential users, and market research that explores consumer opinions of these technological innovations should take into account both reasons for and against FEA usage.

摘要

专为在比赛期间在体育场内使用而设计的移动应用程序（称为球迷体验应用程序）是全球专业团队运动中的一项新兴技术创新。本研究借鉴行为推理理论，提出并实证测试了一个模型来解释体育观众对球迷体验应用程序 (FEA) 的采用。通过考虑采用 FEA 的原因和反对采用 FEA 的原因，该模型代表了体育营销中现有创新框架的重要理论扩展。使用定性的预研究，我使用特定的支持采用因素（即乐趣、易用性、游戏相关内容和社交互动）和反采用因素（即对游戏的分心、气氛下降、社会风险和数据安全问题）。在德国团队运动观众 (N = 792) 中收集的调查数据证实，采用的原因（正面）和反对采用的原因（负面）都会影响采用态度、使用意图和 FEA 的实际使用。结果表明，与反对理由相比，采用理由对观众对 FEA 反应的相对影响更大。该研究还描述了具体的支持和反对采用因素对支持和反对采用的总体原因的相对贡献。研究结果表明，FEA 开发人员、针对潜在用户的营销传播以及探索消费者对这些技术创新意见的市场研究应该考虑支持和反对 FEA 使用的原因。