Beyond Reality: The Role of Innovation in Virtual Sport Events

With the arrival of Pandemic COVID, most sporting events were suspended, including popular foot races, known for their massification and occupation of public space. This global situation forced sporting events to innovate to become safer and to continue offering their activities despite the restrictions. From this evolution, virtual editions of many events emerged and promoted a new format that is still in force. The present study addresses the role of innovation from three perspectives: service newness in the market, incremental service innovation and technology-focused innovation, to subsequently explain the perceived quality, perceived value and satisfaction with the event. The sample was 560 participants of the Medellin Virtual Marathon. Results show that incremental service innovation and technology-focused innovativeness are important to explain perceived quality, while newness in the market is not. Subsequently, quality influences value and value influences satisfaction. Therefore, innovation must be considered in the management of virtual sporting events.