Purpose Indonesia is among the developing countries with the second highest interest in sports. In total, 70% of Indonesians admit they are sports fans. In addition, social media has become an extension of sports clubs and athletes sharing information with their fans. This study aims to explore how information needs in sports moderate the technology adoption factors of a particular platform and analyse how psychosocial factors influence attitude. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of 451 fans in Indonesia who are from rural areas and belong to Generation Z. This study applied partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the collected data. Findings The results show that information needs can predict the intention of fans to seek information related to their favourite athletes using Instagram and, at the same time, can moderate the effect of attitude on intention. Other findings also showed that psychosocial factors significantly influenced fans’ positive attitudes, which in turn led to intentions. Practical implications This research implies that it is essential for the sports industry, especially in building the personal branding of athletes or clubs, to understand the factors that encourage fans’ intention to adopt Instagram social media and seek information about athletes. Originality/value This research adds insight for athletes, teams and organisations to determine the right platform for building athlete, team and organisation branding. In addition, this research adds insight into how sports products choose promotional media that are preferred by potential consumers based on the fan base.
Hafiar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.