In Pursuit of Understanding What Drives Fan Satisfaction

Abstract

With economic considerations exerting an ever-increasing influence on soccer clubs’ activities, fan satisfaction becomes an essential strategic management objective for these institutions. Despite this topic’s obvious relevance, the literature has paid little attention to the measurement of fan satisfaction. Based on a thorough literature review, as well as interviews with soccer fans and industry experts, this paper develops an analytical model for measuring soccer fan satisfaction (FANSAT). A large-scale sample of soccer fans permits subsequent application of the FANSAT approach. The impact-performance map results of the driver analysis show that stadium features, aspects of the stadium, club management, and fan-based support for the club are the most important determinants of fan attendance. The results of this study provide implications of major relevance for international sports organizations, national sports organizations, and clubs. FANSAT is useful beyond this application, and other sports disciplines can adopt this tool for measuring and improving their fans’ satisfaction.