From “mine” to “me”: how perceived NFT attributes shape brand resonance in Chinese Generation Z sports fandom

Purpose Situated within sports fandom and China’s regulated digital asset environment, this study examines how perceived uniqueness, scarcity, controllability, and non-fungible tokens (NFT) symbolism shape brand resonance through psychological ownership and customer-brand identification among Generation Z fans. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on psychological ownership theory and social identity theory, the study tests a serial mediation model using survey data from 489 Chinese Generation Z sports fans and partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings Perceived uniqueness, controllability, and NFT symbolism strengthen psychological ownership, which increases customer-brand identification and, in turn, brand resonance. This pattern supports a layered process from perceived NFT attributes to ownership, identification, and sustained fan-brand relationships. Perceived scarcity has no significant direct or indirect effects. Research limitations/implications Psychological ownership explains how NFTs become personally meaningful, while customer-brand identification links ownership to loyalty, attachment, community, and engagement. Sports brands operating in regulated digital markets should provide meaningful opportunities for fans to express their affiliation, exercise control, and participate in brand communities, rather than relying primarily on scarcity. Originality/value This study integrates ownership and identity perspectives to explain how sport brand NFTs foster digital belonging and brand resonance in sports fandom. It also provides evidence from China, where NFT circulation and speculative activities operate under regulatory constraints.