Motivations of fans of the most popular Hungarian spectator team sports and behavioural differences in their sport consumption
Abstract
The study seeks to answer whether fans of the most popular spectator team sports in Hungary – football (soccer), basketball, handball, and ice hockey – exhibit differences in their motivations, and whether their behavior reflects a rational, utility-maximizing economic approach or displays other characteristics. The H-SMSC (Hungarian Scale for Motivators of Sport Consumption) was used as the measurement instrument. The questionnaire was distributed online to fans of teams competing in the top divisions of the respective sports (N = 1368). Based on our results, we found that the motivations of fans of spectator team sports are heterogeneous. The interest of football, handball, and basketball fans is primarily influenced by loyalty to the team and identification with it. Classical economic factors, such as success and drama, are not among the three most important factors in any of the sports examined. Fans attending football, handball, and basketball matches can be considered rather irrational; this is less clear in the case of ice hockey.
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