This study examines the extent to which sports mobile applications can serve as credible media outlets for sports-related content and information dissemination, especially when it comes to sports events hosted in foreign destinations. This study aims to identify the application features that encourage user engagement and responsiveness, as well as to investigate the behavioral outcomes resulting from the use of sports mobile applications.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the destination of focus for the current study. A total of 399 questionnaires were analyzed from sports consumers and fans during the Formula One motor racing event during held in April 2025, following a cross-sectional timeframe. Structural equation model (SEM) path coefficient analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses that were established during the literature review.
This study finds that sports mobile application content trustworthiness, accuracy/expertise, and attractiveness lead to the perception of application ease; content attractiveness leads to the perception of application usefulness. Application perceived ease and usefulness triggers sports event participation and repeated usage of the application; application perceived usefulness triggers purchase intentions for sports event merchandise.
With the rise of smartphones and the ever-growing demand for instant information, sports mobile applications have found their place in the sporting world, providing practitioners with a wealth of benefits in attracting consumers and fans. This study helps guide practitioners on how to establish a sound sports mobile application, how consumers foster application acceptance, and the significant behavioral reactions that can be caused by exposure to mobile applications; so, to delve into the various aspects that make them a valuable marketing tool for attracting fans to global sports events.
By studying several theories jointly, this study identifies significant technical and psychological factors to build a comprehensive explanation of users’ experiences with sports mobile application usage, leading to application usage, sports event bookings, and merchandise purchase.
