When technology takes over sport : A study on VAR’s impact on the enjoyment of watching football matches

This study investigates how two psychological factors—flow and perceived fairness—affect the enjoyment of watching football matches on television where Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is used. While previous research has examined these concepts separately, often focusing on spectators at the stadium, limited research has explored their combined impact in a TV-viewing context. To address this gap, a quantitative research strategy with a deductive approach was applied, and data was collected through a web-based survey distributed across Swedish football-related forums and social media. The results show that both flow and perceived fairness have a significant and positive impact on viewer enjoyment, with flow demonstrating a stronger correlation. The findings suggest that emotional immersion in the game—facilitated by a continuous and natural match flow—plays a more crucial role in enjoyment than the perception of fairness, which is more cognitively processed. This study contributes theoretically through the development and application of the FlowFair model, which explains how technological interventions like VAR influence the spectator experience. Practically, the insights can support stakeholders in designing and integrating sport technologies in ways that enhance viewer satisfaction. The study emphasizes that successful implementation of VAR must balance objective fairness with emotional engagement to maintain the appeal of televised football