Assessing Factors influencing Brand Equity and Fan Engagement in Digital Social Landscape

Traditional sports events face declining fan engagement due to fragmented experiences and underutilized emerging technologies in digital transformation. This study examines how digital interactions influence sports consumer behavior and brand value by proposing and validating a framework for sports brand equity, extending Aaker's brand identity principles and Keller's customer-based brand equity model. Using systematic Exploration, Development, and Validation, the study conducted exploratory factor analysis on 250 responses and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling on 570 responses. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis assessed complex causal conditions. The findings reveal five key enablers of sports brand equity: digital experience, team interaction, e-milieu, the arena, and fan engagement. E-milieu and digital experience indirectly impact brand equity through fan engagement, with fandom type moderating this relationship. Real-time updates and interactive content enhance digital engagement. This study contributes to digital sports marketing discourse by extending classical brand models to technology-driven fan ecosystems.