There is growing considerable attention on residents’ support for mega sports events in the sports industry due to the ongoing current transformations that positions mega sports events as a key driver of social and economic development in many countries. In this transformation, the role of residents has been considered crucial in ensuring the success of the entire sports industry and specific events such as mega sports events. Despite this growing importance, insufficient attention has been paid to the mechanisms that can foster support for future mega sports events in emerging countries, which strive to host mega sports events as an engine for social and economic development. This study seeks to unveil the drivers of residents’ support for mega sports events by proposing and testing dimensions of event experience as a crucial factor in determining residents’ support for future mega sports events. The study was conducted in the Dar-es-Salaam region, which hosted CHAN 2024 in Tanzania, among 402 residents who are spectators in the sports industry. The study analyzed quantitative data using structural equation modeling, and the results revealed that event experience plays a pivotal role in promoting residents’ support for future mega sports events through sports events love. The study, therefore, recommends that planners and organizers of mega sports events should adopt a holistic approach ensures that the events are well organized and prepared to offer a holistic experience that creates memorable experiences for residents, thereby sparking support for future mega sports events.
David Amani (Sat,) studied this question.