Sport-Specific Online Consumption: Understanding Fan Motivations in Baseball, Soccer, and Basketball

This study examines sport consumers’ motivations for online consumption and their varying behavioralpatterns across different sports, with a focus on baseball, soccer, and basketball fans in South Korea.Grounded in the Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT), the research utilizes the Scale of Motivation forOnline Sport Consumption (SMOS) and the Motivations Scale for Online Sport Consumption (MSSOC)to assess six key motivational factors: convenience, entertainment, interpersonal communication, escape,team support, and technical knowledge. Data were collected through an online survey administered to 231 South Korean college students, yielding a 30.8% response rate. Results from a multivariate analysis ofvariance (MANOVA) revealed significant differences in the motivations of sport consumers based onsport type. Baseball fans demonstrated a stronger inclination toward information-seeking andentertainment, with the highest mean scores for both factors, compared to soccer and basketball fans. The findings suggest that soccer fans prioritize real-time information and accessibility, reflecting the fast-paced, dynamic nature of the sport. In contrast, baseball fans are primarily driven by recreational andentertainment motivations, facilitated by the sports slower, segmented gameplay. These insightsunderscore the importance of sport-specific digital marketing strategies. For soccer, platforms shouldemphasize up-to-date, well-organized content delivery, while baseball marketing should focus on creatingengaging multimedia experiences. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the distinctmotivational patterns across sports and offering actionable recommendations for optimizing digital sports marketing. Limitations, including the sample’s representativeness, are acknowledged, and future research directions are suggested.