ABSTRACT
Currently, a substantial part of sport consumption occurs digitally as sports fans now consume news and other content via digital platforms. Fans no longer need to attend the game physically or even congregate with other fans to share their experience; they can do all of this digitally. Fans today tweet, text, Snap, and Instagram, all while watching the game, resulting in a new and enriched fan experience. This chapter provides insight into how fans, teams, athletes, and other stakeholders interact and engage in fandom in the digital world. The chapter commences with an examination of the rise of digital sport fandom by discussing why sport fans use digital media. It then continues with a discussion on digital engagement, highlighting how fans replicate their offline fan behaviors online. Next, this chapter gives an overview of how the role of digital fans has shifted into fans having an increasingly involved role in the sport experience. Since the rise of digital fandom does not come without risks, the dark side of digital sport fandom is also discussed. Finally, this chapter concludes with ideas on what the future may hold for digital sport fandom.
