Immersive Impact: Sport Virtual Reality Effects on Brand Recall and Recognition

As sports consumers seek alternative means of sports consumption through virtual reality (VR) experiences, this study seeks to understand how VR-induced psychological response affects consumer cognitive processing specific to sponsorship messaging. To achieve this, the medium of sport consumption was manipulated (i.e., 2D digital broadcast vs. VR) in which spectator telepresence, brand recall, and brand recognition of sponsorship messaging were compared. A significant MANOVA result was obtained (Wilks' Lambda = .54, F(3, 62) = 17.49, p < .001, n 2 = .46), and a between-subjects analysis indicated that VR sport broadcast consumption had a significant effect on spectator brand recall and telepresence rates. Findings suggest marketing VR as a more immersive (i.e., interactive and vivid) digital experience for those seeking to spectate sport remotely yet support the ideas of the limited capacity model of mediated message processing in that VR impedes one's ability to recall brand messaging.