From YouTube to Stadium Seats: Brand Journalism, Athlete Image, and Game Attendance Intentions in Korean Professional Baseball

This study examines how perceived brand journalism value on professional baseball YouTube channels influences game attendance intention through the mediation of continuance watching intention. Drawing on uses and gratifications and social identity theories, the model analyzes these structural pathways and the athlete image’s moderating role. Data from 300 Korea Baseball Organization fans were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results reveal that, although perceived brand journalism value enhances continuance watching intention, which in turn boosts game attendance intention, it also exerts a direct negative influence on attendance. This indicates that brand journalism serves as both a facilitator for offline engagement and a potential substitute for in-person attendance via high-quality vicarious experiences. Furthermore, the positive impact of watching intention on attendance is significantly stronger when athlete image is low. These findings identify a nonlinear, competitive mediation pathway in digital storytelling, offering strategic insights for identity-sensitive sport communication that balances digital consumption with stadium attendance.