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Abstract The 2008 Beijing Olympics was the most watched television event in U.S. television history and represented a broad expansion and emphasis on online sports content. This study examined audience's multiplatform experience with the 2008 Beijing Games, particularly differences and commonalities between sports "fans" and "nonfans." Results indicate key distinctions between sports fans and nonfans in terms of overall behaviors, motivations, and preferences. Although sports fans watched the 2008 Olympics significantly more than nonfans, use of online platforms were not significantly different between fans and nonfans. Explanations of why fans and nonfans watched were notably similar. Findings highlight the dynamic interplay between choice, habit, and structure in newer media environments, particularly for big-event sports programming. Notes 1The 28 sports types used in this study were archery, badminton, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, diving, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, judo, mountain biking, rowing, sailing, shooting, soccer, softball, swimming, synchronized swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, and wrestling. 2The eight statements used to measure perceived benefits of online Olympics viewing were "I watched the Olympics on the Web because it was more convenient"; "because it provided a wide variety of programming"; "because it was a quicker way to get information"; "because it fit my schedule better"; "because it enhanced the quality of the Olympics coverage"; and "because it brought me more entertainment"; "It was easy for me to figure out how to watch the Olympics on the web"; and "It was too much trouble when watching the Olympics on the web (reversed)." 3The 10 statements used to measure motivations for sports viewing were: "I watch sports to see who does well/who wins"; "because I care about the players or teams"; "to follow a specific player or team"; "because I like the unpredictability of the shows/games"; "to put aside responsibilities, including studying, for a while"; "because I don't want to miss a thing on the show or game"; "to relieve stress and escape from pressures of the day"; "to feel connected with the players or teams"; "to be in the know"; and "to add some excitement to my life." 4The five statements used to measure concomitant behaviors were "When watching sports, I feel happy if my favorite player or team does well"; "I feel sad or depressed if my favorite player or team does poorly"; "I yell out at the players, teams, or action"; "I hope (or pray) for an outcome I want"; and "I talk with others about the show/game." 5The five statements used to measure postviewing behaviors were "After watching sports, I will watch more about it on TV"; "I will stay in a good mood for a while if my favorite player or team did well"; "I will read about the players, teams, or games in the newspaper"; "I will talk with my friends about it"; and "I will check the Web to read more about it." Note. N = 363 (199 fans; 164 nonfans). Means are reported in minutes spent watching. ***p ≤ .001. Note. N = 363 (199 fans; 164 nonfans). Scales for which means are reported can be referenced in the methods section of the article. **p ≤ .01. ***p ≤ .001. Note. R 2 = .289. Adjusted R 2 = .273, p < .001. *p ≤ .05. ***p ≤ .001. Note. R 2 = .269. Adjusted R 2 = .254, p < .001. ***p ≤ .001. Note. R 2 = .329. Adjusted R 2 = .314, p < .001. *p ≤ .05. ***p ≤ .001. Note. R 2 = .360. Adjusted R 2 = .338, p < .001. **p ≤ .01. ***p ≤ .001. Additional informationNotes on contributorsRoger Cooper Roger Cooper (Ph.D., Indiana University, 1992) is an Associate Professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies at Ohio University. His research interests include media uses in convergent environments and the personality attributes that enhance success in the creative industries. Tang Tang Tang Tang (Ph.D., Ohio University, 2008) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at the University of Akron. Her research interests include audience research and the impact of new communication technologies.
Cooper et al. (Wed,) studied this question.