Associations among the Premier League’s social media marketing activities, consumer relationship quality and consumers’ word-of-mouth intention in the Chinese market

Purpose In order to maintain the Premier League (PL)’s sustainable profitability and marketing success in the Chinese market, an understanding of cultivating the league’s consumer relationship quality (CRQ) and the subsequent relationship with consumer behaviours is invaluable. Given the essential role of social media in bridging firms and consumers and the benefits of communication across consumers in marketing expansion, this research investigated the associations among consumers’ perceived social media marketing activities (SMMA), CRQ and word-of-mouth (WOM) intention of the PL in the Chinese market. Design/methodology/approach This research collected data from 502 Chinese consumers of the PL. The assumed structural model was examined utilising confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Findings As the result, this research revealed the significant relationships between the PL’s perceived SMMA and all CRQ dimensions, which in turn were all significantly associated with WOM intention among Chinese consumers. Originality/value This research successfully contributes to the underexplored cultivation of CRQ through perceived SMMA and its consequential association with consumers’ WOM intention among satellite fans, with empirical evidence of the PL within the Chinese market. For practitioners within the league, this research presents a robust framework for building and strengthening their relationship with Chinese consumers and further enhancing their marketing performance within the Chinese market.