Service quality and sport consumption in stadiums: the mediating role of perceived value

Purpose Stadiums are important service marketing areas at the forefront of the sports service sector and with increasing demand every day. In Turkey, where football plays a dominant role in the national sports culture and attracts passionate fans, understanding the impact of stadium service quality on spectator loyalty and experience is crucial. Building on this premise, the aim of the study was to investigate the mediating role of perceived value in the effect of service quality on sport consumption behavior within the context of Turkish football spectators. Design/methodology/approach Participants (n = 843), selected through convenience sampling, consisted of spectators attending professional football matches in Turkish stadiums. The hypotheses included in the research model were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings The results indicate that service quality has a positive impact on perceived value, and this perceived value affects sport consumer behavior. Additionally, perceived value was identified to have a partial mediating role in the relationship between service quality and sport consumption behavior in the Turkish football context. Originality/value Theoretically, this study extends the applications of the stimulus organism response (SOR) model and the sport value framework (SVF) by examining service quality, perceived value and sport consumption behavior through the lens of Turkey’s distinctive sports culture and stadium environment. Practically, the findings provide context-specific insights for stadium managers, offering actionable strategies to enhance spectator engagement and promote stadium services more effectively in the rapidly evolving and highly competitive sports environment characteristics of Turkey.