The influence of stadium environment on attendance intentions in spectator sport

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of perceived environmental quality of the stadium on fans’ future intentions to attend a game by highlighting the moderating effect of team loyalty. Design/methodology/approach Using latent moderated structural equations modeling, this study tested the direct impacts of stadium factors on consumers’ desire to stay and revisit intentions and the moderation effects of team loyalty based on Mehrabian and Russell’s environmental psychology behavioral model. Findings The results showed significant direct effects of team loyalty and desire to stay on revisit intentions. The stadium environment influenced desire to stay and revisit intentions only by the interactions with team loyalty. More specifically, higher loyalty led to higher desire to stay and revisit intentions, whereas fans’ positive experience of stadium environment intensified the effect. Originality/value The authors highlight the significant role of desire to stay on revisit intentions by incorporating the cognitive-affective system of human behavior. In addition, this study provides essential information for identifying the interaction effects of environmental factors and team loyalty on consumer behavior in sport settings.