Analyzing the effect of proximity on regional fans’ affective outcomes and fan behaviors

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze whether there are differences in causal relationships among regional fans’ identification with their teams, their sense of belonging in the fan community and fan behaviors (such as watching and visiting the game) based on the proximity to the professional baseball venue. Design/methodology/approach Regional fans have been classified into two groups based on their proximity to the professional baseball team’s venue (e.g. those who live in a city affiliated with a professional baseball team and those who live in a city without a professional baseball team’s affiliation). This study utilized multigroup analysis to find statistical differences in path coefficients between the two groups’ statistical models. Findings The results showed there are no differences in path coefficients among regional fans’ team identification, sports fan’s sense of community (SFSC) and their fan behaviors based on their proximity to the professional baseball team’s venue. Originality/value While studies have been done to analyze the impact of proximity on sport fans’ various outcomes, this study’s originality lies in the attempt that we utilized relatively less dealt fan group, the regional fan whose professional sports teams’ venues can be reached within few hours, on the impact of proximity on various fan behaviors, such as team identification, SFSC and frequency of watching and visiting professional baseball teams’ games through media and in-person.