Results and Findings

The empirical study clarifies two purposes of the research. First, we want to enrich the knowledge on FS and its effects on sport practice and physical activities of sport fans. This link is not found significantly in the academic discussion about FS. Second, we intend to replicate previous studies and demonstrate the positive effects of FS-participation on sport usage, as well as gaining and retaining sport fans from a professional sport league perspective. This allows a holistic picture with one data set in the same context. This context contains the ‘Big Five’ observed leagues in North America, namely the National Football League (NFL), the Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Major League Soccer (MLS), which host FS applications prominently on their respective websites. Overall, the leagues work together with external service providers, authorised to use the right to use official trademarks of the leagues and provided with real-time statistics and access to expert opinions, predictions and other data, which is all very valuable to FS players. The empirical study aims to contribute a purposeful explanation of reasoning on why sport leagues need to support the gamified engagement of their sport fans. As a result, it is necessary to investigate the effects of FS participation from the perspective of professional sport leagues marketing efforts.

Results for Study one

Study one determines if any statistical differences exist between sport fan’s practice (H1) and usage (H2) patterns between FS players and FS non-players. FS participation thereby proposes the hypothesised effect of FS participation as a gamified application hosted by professional sport leagues on different levels of sport engagement.

In contrast to the common controversy of media-based activities and its negative effects on physical activity, empirical results show that sport practice habits of FS-players in comparison to FS non-players do not show any statistically significant difference. That is, despite active participation in league-related FS leagues sport fans keep their level of physical activity up. As a consequence: FS participation does not harm active sport practice patterns of fans. On the other hand, results show that sport fans that participate in league-related FS leagues spend less time on actively doing the respective sports. From the perspective of a league, these numbers indicate that participants of the gamified FS application spend less time on playing the type of sport in a team or as a leisure activity. Especially for a younger age group, this development is concerning at first glance. On the other hand, sport leagues can actively use this lack of sport participation to engage with their fans on both online and offline platforms through the application of active FS (Moller et al., 2014). Active FS represents a combination of online-based FS and the inclusion of individuals’ activity parameters, which can be aimed at respective sports achievements. The results for FS effects on sport usage indicate that FS playing fans show significantly higher sport usage patterns in comparison to FS non-players for hypotheses H2a – H2d. This confirms results of former studies by Karg and McDonald (2011). Only H2e, detailing the expenditure on league related merchandise, does not exhibit significant results. In summation, the results lead the researchers to draw the conclusion that sport leagues should increase effort and planning to foster and facilitate FS sport as gamified experiences for their fans, benefiting from higher recognition online and offline. In so doing, the leagues can better interact with their target audience and increase the number of touchpoints.

Hypothesis Dependent Variable Fantasy Sports N Means Std.

Deviation Significance H1a Hours a week of physical activity

Players 129 7.90 5.23

** Respondents, who indicated, e.g. the NBA as their league of interest, where questioned about basketball (SPORTS) and the NBA (LEAGUE). Respondents, who indicated that they do not participate in SPORTS (e.g. basketball) were not asked the numbers of hours per week.

Table I: Results for one-factor Welch-ANOVA on sport practice and usage patterns

Results for Study two

The Welch-ANOVA indicates that participants of league related FS applications evaluate their individual attitude towards the observed constructs significantly more positive. By that, the influence of FS participation as a gamification application for sport fans with regard to sport leagues on observed marketing parameters has been proven.

FS players typically have higher level knowledge about a favourite sport organisation and league. This knowledge combines to create a “perceived expertise of sports”. Through the interaction with others and their willingness to increase their FS performance, participants strive for information and actively gather and process league content. This positively relates with higher consumption of online content, such as analysis, reports or statistics about players and teams (H3).

This study provides significant evidence that attitudinal loyalty to the sport league increases with FS participation. Attitudinal loyalty in that environment describes a process of predisposition towards the sport league (Dick and Basu, 1994). Fans that engage in FS are more likely to have a higher attitudinal loyalty to a sport league (H4a). This contributes to the retention of those fans as long-term customers.

In analysing attitude towards a league, sport fans show behavioural manifestations in terms of repeated purchase of tickets, frequency of encounters, and repetitive behaviours (Wakefield, 2016). Behavioural loyalty is viewed as the strength of the relationship between attitude and actual purchasing behaviour (Dick and Basu, 1994). As results of the empirical study demonstrate, the level of behavioural loyalty (as a consequence of attitudinal loyalty) increases with FS participation, meaning that sport fans that participate in a league-related FS league are more likely to act loyal to the sport league (H4b).

Furthermore, the participants spread positive WOM to attract potential new customers. This effect is also influenced by playing FS (H5). This goes hand in hand with the acquisition of new customers who potentially gain higher profits for the respective league organisation.

Consequently, FS participation of sport fans unveils a higher level of attitude as well as behavioural loyalty towards the sport league brand. FS sport players indicate higher expertise, more commitment to the league and are more loyal with corresponding positive WOM about the league.

Hypothesis Dependent Variable Fantasy Sports N Means Std.

Deviation Significance

Table II: Results for one-factor Welch-ANOVA on observed marketing parameters