Background/Purpose In 2009, corporations spent $11.3 billion on sport sponsorship with $870 million paid to NFL franchises (IEG, 2010). Many corporations who have associated their brand with a professional sport franchise experienced increased revenue (Miloch & Lambrecht, 2006). However, predicting who will buy has yielded mixed results (Dees, et. al., 2008; Walliser, 2003; Grohs, et. al., 2004; Lawley, et. al., 2001). Considering such extravagant spending, are corporations successfully influencing NFL fans spending habits and, if so, who is affected? This study investigated the influence of a sponsor's affiliation with a National Football League franchise upon attendees' purchase intentions.
Method Surveys (n=505) were administered as fans entered the stadium. Survey items focused upon fans' likelihood to purchase a product from a sponsor over a non-sponsoring company. Demographic information including gender, age, education, and fan involvement (season ticket holder versus non season ticket holder) was collected.
Analysis/Results Using a standard multiple regression analysis, results indicated that gender (β=.116) and education (β=.104) were predictors of purchase intentions while age (β=.024) and season ticket holder (β=.065) were not (p<.05). These results support the view that sponsoring professional sport teams influences purchasing habits of men and those with a college degree.
Conclusions Considering the amount of money committed to sport sponsorship, corporations should better understand which attendees' purchase intentions are most affected by their affiliation with the franchise and align their sponsorship goals accordingly. As a result, corporations could better direct their efforts to the most receptive attendees.
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