The price of protest: a conjoint analysis of public support and backlash to athlete activism

Research Question This study examines how the American public evaluates athlete activism in an era of heightened political polarization. It asks which attributes of athlete activism generate public support or backlash and whether sport fandom functions as a cross-cutting identity that moderates partisan motivated reasoning in these evaluations.Research Methods We employ a fully randomized conjoint experiment using a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (N = 1,555). Guided by Partisan Motivated Reasoning, the experiment asked respondents to evaluate multi-attribute profiles of activist athletes varying by athlete race, protest tactic/site, issue advocacy, and organizational response. This design captures multidimensional trade-offs in decision making while reducing social desirability bias. Subgroup analyses examine how evaluations differ by political affiliation, demographic characteristics, and sport fan identification.Results and Findings Results are consistent with partisan motivated reasoning, with evaluations structured primarily by political identity. Progressive issue advocacy and on-field protests generated polarized responses, while supportive organizational responses increased overall approval. Importantly, sport fan identification moderated partisan polarization. Highly identified fans expressed less opposition to politically incongruent activism than non-fans.Implications The findings demonstrate how political identity and sport fandom jointly shape public evaluations of athlete activism. They highlight sport’s potential to moderate political polarization and offer practical guidance for athletes, leagues, and sponsors navigating political engagement in contemporary sport.