Social media use in sport event tourism: a uses and gratifications perspective

This study examines the factors influencing the use of social media in the context of sport event tourism. Drawing on Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory, it analyses how motivations (information, social interaction, entertainment) shape user attitudes and usage intentions related to sport event tourism content. The study also investigates the moderating role of convenience in the relationship between intention and behaviour. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), data from 450 potential sport tourists were analysed. The results show that informational and social motivations significantly drive both attitudes and intentions, whereas entertainment primarily influences attitudes. Attitude plays a central role in shaping usage intention, which in turn leads to behavioural responses. Furthermore, convenience strengthens the relationship between intention and behaviour. These findings contribute to sport tourism research by providing a more integrated understanding of how motivational and situational factors influence social media use in sport event contexts.