Sport fans’ roles in value co-creation

Abstract

Research Question: The sports industry has witnessed sustained growth. The cultural, symbolic and stakeholder-embedded nature of sport provides a dynamic setting for developing service research. In this context, an evolution in the logic of value creation can be observed; fans are no longer sport passive receivers of value but, instead, can be active value co-creators. The sport fan exhibits distinctive characteristics and an ability and willingness to integrate resources and co-produce value propositions, which necessitates an understanding of fan value co-creation. We answer one key research question: what is the role of fans in value co-creation in sports? We do so by conceptually exploring the processes through which sport fans co-create and provide value propositions. Research Methods: We use case exemplars to provide a base for the theoretical consideration of the role of sport fans in value co-creation. We verify and consolidate the service-dominant logic (SDL) in the sport context. However, due to the high level of abstraction of the SDL as a general theory, we utilize consumer culture theory (CCT) as a middle range theory (MRT) to bridge the gap between contextual descriptions of the role of fans and the SDL. Results and Findings: Fans evaluate, redefine and reposition value propositions in different sport settings. The three roles of assimilators, adaptors and authenticators in value co-creation are identified through five case exemplars. We extend the theoretical understanding of the processes through which sport fans co-create value. Implications: Knowledge of the distinctive characteristics of sport fans and their roles in value co-creation will assist managers in developing effective marketing 3 propositions. Our theoretical contribution will generate new lines of research in the field.

Impact of COVID-19 on Athletes and Coaches, and Their Values in Japan: Repercussions of Postponing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games

“…Due to social distancing, connecting with people around the globe on SNS may be helpful for an athlete, however, given that many athletes allow their SNS to be interactive, negative and harsh comments can also be directed toward them, which in turn, affects the values they hold in themselves and sports. In fact, sport fans are no longer passive receivers of value but rather can be active value co-creators, as pointed out by studies that focused on commercial values (e.g., Kolyperas et al, 2019;Woratschek et al, 2014).…”

Fan’s perspective on professional leagues and sporting events during COVID-19 confinement period

“…Lastly, even though fans have developed this feeling, 51% really missed to see live sport. Sport supporters are certainly the active co-creators of the sport value (Kolyperas, Maglaras and Sparks, 2019) and this is a social demand that is the key for the sport to have become one of the current phenomena with a greater impact (Rodríguez, 2012). If these fans could not see live sport, most of them would keep their interest (67%) and would follow them through different means of communication such as television.…”

Episodic Retail Settings: A Sustainable and Adaptive Strategy for City Centre Stores

“…Following in the footsteps of Kolyperas, Maglaras, and Sparks' [23] work on value co-creation applying the SCE, we introduce a number of exemplars as contextual descriptions of episodic retail settings, informing subsequent configurational premises in order to shape and verify middle-range theories within the retail context. Using the case exemplar methodology, the authors deliberately select entities that illustrate and exemplify the construct of interest that exhibits particular characteristics [24] often used when studying developmental constructs [25] (see Figure 1).…”