Scheduled for Research Consortium Poster Session: Thematic Sport Posters, Thursday, March 15, 2007, 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Area I


Sport Consumption Motives Related to Attendance at Women's and Men's College Ice Hockey Games

Minyong Lee, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether females and males were equally likely to report being sport fans, and to identify whether the motives influencing the consumption of women's college ice hockey were different than the motives influencing the consumption of men's college ice hockey. Fans of women's ice hockey and fans of men's ice hockey were compared on ten sport consumption motives. Data for this study came from 104 fans attending women's ice hockey games and 103 fans attending men's ice hockey games. The overall ratings on the sport consumption motives were higher for males and MANOVA revealed that there were significant differences between females and males on four of the sport consumption motives (Social Interaction, Family, Entertainment, and Skill). There was no significant difference between the two motives rated highest by women and men, Entertainment and Drama. The reasons for watching and following women's and men's ice hockey were significantly different on two of the sport consumption motives (Skill and Team Affiliation). The results of this study indicate the importance of understanding the gender differences in sport consumption. In particular, behavior regarding the development of loyalty and the effectiveness of different marketing strategies may vary between female and male fans as well as between fans of women's ice hockey and fans of men's ice hockey.
Keyword(s): gender issues, marketing/public relations, sport management

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