Sport content and virtual reality technology acceptance

Abstract

PurposeNotwithstanding the dynamics of digital transformation and its relevance for revenue generation in the entertainment industry, empirical research that focused on consumer behavior at the intersection of sport content and media technology acceptance is limited. Virtual reality (VR) is a re-emerging and nowadays commercially available technology that impacts sport consumed through media. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumer acceptance of VR technology and highlight the effects of content quality and flow experience as influencing factors of behavioral intention.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review, the authors constructed and empirically tested a model that extends the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) by considering additional antecedent factors. Participants (N=570) in the empirical study viewed sport content via VR technology (Sport VR) and completed a survey before and after viewing. The authors conducted factor analysis and structural equation modeling.FindingsThree UTAUT2 influencing factors, i.e., performance expectancy, social influence and hedonic motivation, showed significant effects. Furthermore, flow and content quality had positive indirect effects. Thus, the quality of sport content and the state of flow that users experience when immersed in a VR environment are relevant factors that determine the performance expectations of consumers and their Sport VR usage intention.Originality/valueThis empirical study contributes to knowledge on consumer acceptance of a hedonic technology in a sport media context. Moreover, two factors extended the established UTAUT2 model.

Drivers of immersive virtual reality adoption intention: a multi-group analysis in chemical industry settings

“…2, 3, 4). This result is also consistent with previous studies that confirmed the significant influence of PE on sport VR context acceptance (Kunz and Santomier 2019) and on E-mail acceptance (Mao and Palvia 2008). Hsu and Lin (2008) reported that PE plays critical factor in work-related environment and given that the respondents considered in this study were chemical operators and employees, this suggests that regardless of the group, respondents perceive that using IVR technology in chemical industry training would increase their job performance.…”

“…On the other hand, Kunz and Santomier (2019) used the extended UTAUT 2 model to investigate the acceptance of VR technology in sport content reported that only 3 out of 7 factors (i.e. PE, SI, and HM) showed significant effects on behavioural intention to adopt IVR system (Kunz and Santomier 2019). As observed, the IVR adoption intention results from both studies are different.…”

“…PE, SI, and H) showed significant effects on behavioural intention to adopt IVR system (Hartl and Berger 2017). On the other hand, Kunz and Santomier (2019) used the extended UTAUT 2 model to investigate the acceptance of VR technology in sport content reported that only 3 out of 7 factors (i.e. PE, SI, and HM) showed significant effects on behavioural intention to adopt IVR system (Kunz and Santomier 2019).…”

Flow theory in the information systems life cycle: The state of the art and future research agenda

“…Many studies have been used flow theory for understanding user behaviour in using technology (Kaur et al, 2016a; Kunz & Santomier, 2019; Lin et al, 2020; Naglis & Bhatiasevi, 2019). However, Choi et al (2007, p. 227) noted the flow research situation in the field of IS as ‘too broad and ill‐defined due to the numerous ways it has been operationalized, tested, and applied’.…”

Guest editorial

“…Regarding the disruptive potential of digitalization for sport management practice, sport management research has scarcely addressed these topics. However, some researchers have investigated the application of virtual and augmented reality in sport marketing (Goebert and Greenhalgh, 2020; Kunz and Santomier, 2019; Uhm et al , 2020), the acceptance of wearables (Kim and Chiu, 2019; Kim et al , 2019) and usage intentions of smart devices (Song et al , 2018). Furthermore, the mobile consumption of news coverage has developed new opportunities regarding the on-demand consumption of live sport via Internet broadcasting (Hutchins, 2019; Keating, 2018; Lindholm, 2019).…”