ABSTRACT
When we think about the sport fan or participant, the image that comes to mind is often of someone who is highly passionate and committed. It’s the extreme fan with painted face, lots of team merchandise and dedication to seeing every game. Or, it’s the amateur athlete who trains hard, spends money on the best equipment and commits hours to improving their personal best performances, all as a ‘hobby’. The sports consumer is often portrayed as being different from other consumers – more passionate, more commit - ment and more loyal – especially compared to consumers of typical fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Indeed, there are numerous books written about sports consumers, with titles like ‘The Elusive Fan’ (Rein, Kotler & Shields 2006) or ‘The Secret Lives of Sports Fans’ (Simons, 2013), which give the impression of a very unusual and distinct group of con sumers. This raises the questions – are sports consumers really different from consumers in other product markets and if so, should we adopt different marketing practices?
