This review examines the intersection of Behavioural Science and sport fan decision-making, an underexplored area in Sport Management. It aims to identify opportunities to integrate Behavioural Science methodologies into research on fan behaviour, moving beyond traditional self-reported data to enhance understanding of fan cognition and consumption patterns.
A systematic review was conducted using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol. From 589 decision-making articles, 50 studies were identified as relevant to sport fan behaviour. These studies were analysed to assess methodological approaches, interdisciplinary collaboration and the prevalence of experimental designs, providing a comprehensive overview of current research practices in the field.
The review revealed three key issues: an overreliance on self-reported data, limited interdisciplinary collaboration and a scarcity of experimental designs. Methodologies common in consumer research, particularly observational and experimental approaches, remain significantly underutilised in Sport Management. The paper addresses these gaps by creating a new conceptual framework, aiming to enhance scientific understanding of fan behaviour and improve marketing effectiveness for sport organisations.
This review highlights the untapped potential of Behavioural Science to advance Sport Management research. By advocating for robust experimental and observational methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration, it offers a framework for more nuanced, evidence-based insights into sport fan behaviour and identifies future research directions that can stimulate innovation in Sport marketing.
