Sport fans' nostalgia and revisit intention to stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

PurposeThis study aimed to examine how sport fans' nostalgia influenced their revisit intention to stadiums. Using data collected during the Covid-19 pandemic, the study further analyzed the moderation effect of sport fans' match attendance on the relationship between nostalgia and revisit intention.Design/methodology/approachThe study used an online survey querying baseball and football fans in Japan (n = 863). These leagues completed their 2020 regular season with and without crowds due to the pandemic. Nostalgia was measured using three dimensions: sports team, environment and socialization. The model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). Multigroup SEM also investigated the moderating effect of match attendance in 2020.FindingsIn the proposed model, nostalgia for sport teams significantly influenced sport fans' intention to revisit stadiums. Nostalgia for sport teams encouraged fans who attended live sport matches during the pandemic more than fans who did not attend the live matches. Nostalgia for sport environment and socialization did not significantly affect sport fans' intentional behavior. However, the results revealed that non-attending fans were stimulated to return to stadiums by nostalgia for the environment.Originality/valueThis study examined the individual impacts of the sport fans' nostalgia dimensions. These nostalgia dimensions were omitted in previous studies. Our findings and proposed model may be used by practitioners in sports teams and leagues to deal with fans' perceived loss of the sport during the Covid-19 pandemic.