This conceptual paper develops a theory-based explanation of how Saudi Arabia’s sports mega-event marketing may influence fan engagement and national brand image through two integrated touchpoints: stadium-based experience and screen/digital activation. It addresses a central boundary question in contemporary sport marketing: when do mega-event communications generate credible nation-brand value and when are they interpreted as sportswashing?
The study used a systematic narrative review and conceptual synthesis of 92 peer-reviewed and high-relevance institutional sources across sport management, sport tourism, nation branding, sports diplomacy, digital fan engagement, legitimacy theory and crisis communication. Searches were conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and Business Source Complete, supplemented by backward/forward citation chasing. A transparent screening protocol, PRISMA-style flow, evidence matrix, coding logic and quality-appraisal procedure are reported.
The synthesis proposes a stadium-to-screen credibility framework in which event experience quality and digital activation influence perceived value, trust and multidimensional fan engagement. These mechanisms may strengthen national brand image only when audiences perceive the signals as credible, consistent and institutionally supported. Transparency, third-party validation, stakeholder alignment, crisis-response capability and audience context are theorised as key boundary conditions that reduce or intensify sportswashing attributions.
The framework advises policymakers, event organisers, leagues, sponsors, rights holders, tourism bodies, digital platforms and local operators to treat mega-event marketing as a credibility project rather than a promotional campaign alone. A lifecycle-based action matrix and resilience dashboard is proposed to support decision-making before, during and after events.
The paper emphasises accountability, inclusion, community participation, labour standards, accessibility and distribution of benefits as social legitimacy conditions that shape whether mega-event marketing is perceived as authentic national development or reputational masking.
The paper contributes by clarifying the difference between national brand image and soft power, theorising sportswashing as an attribution and legitimacy process and integrating crisis-response logic into sport mega-event marketing theory.
