Sponsorship effectiveness on betting intention-unobserved segmentation

This study explores how factors of perceived authenticity (including continuity, integrity, and credibility) and sponsorship congruence impact attitudes toward sponsors and subsequent sports betting intentions and behaviors. We consider the moderating effect of sponsorship type (conventional versus commercial gambling providers) to identify differences among sponsors. We also employed latent segmentation analysis (a posteriori) to identify latent segments. The results indicate that segment differences are primarily related to the perceived similarity between sponsors and sports events. Fans of age exhibit less brand self-congruence, which negatively affects perceptions of authenticity and attitude toward the sponsor. Conversely, older fans perceive greater authenticity and positivity toward sponsors when there is congruence between the sponsor, the event, and fans’ identity. The sponsor type (conventional or gambling provider) did not differ significantly.