Points of Attachment and Sponsorship Outcomes in an Individual Sport

With respect to an individual sport that operates within a league structure, analyses accounting for both individual and league corporate sponsors have largely been overlooked. Guided by brand attachment theory, the purpose of the present study was to determine which Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fan points of attachment are most effective at predicting sponsorship effectiveness. A review of the literature provided four salient points of attachment (i.e., attachment to the league, fighter, sport, and level of competition) and four measures of sponsorship effectiveness (i.e., attitudes toward UFC sponsors, attitudes toward individual fighter sponsors, UFC sponsor purchase intentions, and individual fighter sponsor purchase intentions). Results of the regression analyses displayed that attachment to the league is most effective at predicting sponsorship effectiveness, including sponsorship of individual fighters. Findings from this study contain both theoretical and pragmatic implications. In discussion, results are further analyzed along with recommendations for future research.