Going above and beyond: how corporate social responsibility enhances the sponsorship-to-engagement chain

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of sports sponsorship on consumer engagement with sponsoring companies in both social media and real-life contexts. It proposes a theoretical framework where sponsorship antecedents, such as sport involvement, spectators’ social media engagement, brand familiarity and perceived team performance affect awareness of and attitudes toward the sponsors, which then influence engagement with sponsors on social media as well as broader engagement with the sponsoring brand. The study adopts a sustainability perspective by analyzing spectators’ perceptions of the sponsors’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a moderating factor that enhances the translation of sponsor awareness and positive sponsor attitudes into active engagement behaviors. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative methodology was used, and data were gathered via an online questionnaire distributed during the FIBA EuroBasket 2025. A total of 5,568 valid responses were gathered and analyzed by using SPSS and AMOS. The research used the Strategic Sport Sponsorship Scale to assess the primary variables, in addition to two engagement-related constructs and spectators’ perceived CSR constructs, which were developed from the existing literature. Newly inserted or modified items were improved via expert review and field testing, keeping only those that were supported by at least 75% of experts. The instrument was then translated back from English to Greek. All items were measured using five-point Likert scales. Findings The results supported all hypothesized relationships. The antecedents of sponsorship were positively associated with spectators’ awareness of and attitudes toward sponsors, and these variables were, in turn, positively associated with spectators’ social media engagement with them. Moreover, engagement with sponsoring brands was strongly associated with the level of social media engagement spectators reported with sponsors. Finally, perceived CSR significantly moderated the relationships between spectators’ awareness of and attitudes toward sponsors and social media engagement with sponsors. Research limitations/implications The results may not be applicable to different populations or contexts due to the study’s reliance on a single-event design. Practical implications Companies that sponsor events and own rights need to focus on social media marketing strategies that raise awareness of sponsors and change their attitudes, as well as CSR, to obtain better insights in terms of engagement and brand-level interactions. Social implications Corporate sponsorship in sports may make people think about their responsibilities and become involved in pro-sustainability standards by using social media. Originality/value The research advances theoretical understanding by formulating and evaluating a staged sponsorship-to-engagement framework for digital contexts, illustrating how sponsorship antecedents affect sponsor awareness and attitudes, subsequently resulting in social media engagement with sponsors and enhanced brand engagement. It further develops sponsorship theory by framing CSR perception as a sustainability-related boundary condition that enhances the transformation of sponsorship outcomes into engagement behavior.