Affiliation:
1. Sports Business Research Academy, Switzerland
Abstract
This empirical research examines how motivational factors for sport consumption affect the intention to watch the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the USA. The motivation scale for sport consumption (MSSC) was adopted to collect quantitative data through an online questionnaire from a convenience sample of 302 spectators in the USA who follow the NWSL. The hypothesized relationships were tested via structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that aesthetics, social interaction, escape, and physical skill of the performing athletes have a significant and positive influence on consumption intention or consumption frequency for watching NWSL matches. This study contributes to the body of knowledge for the business of women's sports with an empirical examination on motives for watching the NWSL, a popular women's football league, and explores possible marketing communications tactics necessary to promote the sports brand and encourage people to consume the sports product offered by the NWSL.