Beyond interactivity: dual relational pathways to fanship in the sports metaverse

Purpose This study examines how distinct forms of interaction in sports metaverse environments – fan-to-fan (FTF) and fan-to-star (FTS) – shape team fanship through different psychological mechanisms. By proposing a dual-pathway framework, we demonstrate that FTF interaction fosters belongingness, whereas FTS interaction operates through illusionary friendship that subsequently extends into belongingness, ultimately strengthening team fanship. Design/methodology/approach A between-subjects, scenario-based experiment was conducted to compare the effects of FTF and FTS interaction in a sports metaverse context. The study tested whether the two interaction types influence team fanship through different psychological mechanisms (belongingness and illusionary friendship) and whether team fanship subsequently predicts revisit intention. Findings Results indicate that FTF interaction increases team fanship indirectly through belongingness. In contrast, FTS interaction increases team fanship via a serial mediation path from illusionary friendship to belongingness. Team fanship, in turn, positively predicts revisit intention. These findings suggest that metaverse interaction is not a uniform driver of engagement but depends on the specific relational mechanism activated by the interaction target. Originality/value This study contributes to metaverse marketing and sports fan engagement research by identifying distinct psychological routes through which interaction strengthens team-related outcomes. The findings offer guidance for social design in virtual environments by showing how strategic interaction targeting may help cultivate team fanship and revisit intention.