Blockchain in Sports: A Comparative Analysis of Applications and Perceptions in Football and Basketball

Blockchain technology is reshaping the sports industry by enhancing transparency, data security, and fan engagement through applications such as smart contracts, tokenized sponsorships, and decentralized ticketing. This study investigates blockchain adoption in Romanian team sports, specifically football and basketball, through a comparative analysis based on a survey of 293 sports professionals (213 from football and 80 from basketball). Using structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS and cluster analysis in SPSS, the study explores the perceived benefits of blockchain and its relationship with athlete performance. The findings reveal distinct adoption patterns: football shows higher use of blockchain in ticketing and fan engagement, while basketball leads in performance analytics and financial support mechanisms. Statistically significant differences were confirmed through MANOVA, and clustering revealed varied stakeholder perceptions across professional roles. Benchmarking against sectors like finance and healthcare highlights transferable best practices for blockchain integration in sports.