Spectator Motives: Differentiating Among Objects of Attraction in Professional Football

Two studies were conducted to examine the relative influence of selected social- psychological motives on interest in Japanese Professional Soccer (J-League). Study 1 utilized four factors - (a) Team Attraction, (b) Sport Attraction, (c) Player Attraction, and (d) Community Pride - to examine length of involvement among spectators (N = 1,201) attending J-League games. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analysis revealed that these four motivational factors significantly predicted a spectator’s length of time as a fan. Differences by gender were also observed. Study 2 (N = 1,409) replicated our findings and illustrated the predictive ability of these factors in explaining length of time as a J-League fan as well as membership in supporter clubs. Furthermore, these findings revealed that spectators' attraction to specific teams had declined within a single year. These results underscores the importance of management efforts aimed at building and maintaining involvement in the sport, fostering high levels of attraction to specific teams and players through supporter clubs, and gender specific marketing activities.