Social media reactions to sports events as tourism drivers: a study of Facebook posts from Buriram United and Buriram Marathon

This study examines how audiences engage with Facebook content related to two major sport events in Buriram, Thailand—Buriram United home matches and the Buriram Marathon—and how different sport event formats generate distinct engagement and emotional responses within a sport tourism context. The research employs a mixed-method content analysis combining quantitative assessment of engagement metrics (likes, comments, and shares) with qualitative analysis of user comments. A total of 618 Facebook posts were collected from the official pages of Buriram United and the Buriram Marathon using consecutive-day sampling based on predefined event windows. Posts were classified according to Sheth’s communication orientations—task-oriented, interaction-oriented, and self-oriented—while comment data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti 24 to identify emotional expressions and discussion themes. The findings reveal contrasting engagement patterns between the two events. Buriram United posts generated high interaction but were frequently associated with negative emotions such as frustration and disappointment, particularly in response to team performance and coaching decisions. In contrast, Buriram Marathon content elicited predominantly positive emotions, including gratitude, encouragement, and excitement, reflecting strong community support and appreciation for the event. These findings demonstrate how different sport event formats shape digital engagement dynamics and emotional responses among audiences. The study contributes to sport tourism and sport communication research by showing how social media interactions surrounding sport events shape destination narratives and the branding of emerging sport tourism destinations such as Buriram.