ASSESSING SPORTS SPONSORSHIP EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH FANS LOYALTY ENGAGEMENT AMONG MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE FANS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/mjssr.v22i1.7113Keywords:
Sport Sponsorship, Fans Loyalty, Malaysian Football League FansAbstract
This study explores the engagement of sports sponsorship and fans loyalty focusing on the fans of the Malaysian Football League. Although sports sponsorship activities help to create improve fan loyalty, it is still very difficult to find sponsors for sports events. In other words, sponsors invest millions in sports sponsorship, and they also must accept a certain amount of risk. Sponsors certainly expect their sponsorship to increase fan purchase intent for their products and services. Fans also have a major influence on the success of the sports event and the sports sponsorship. This relationship motivated this study to determine whether sports sponsorship is effective through the fans loyalty. Fans are seen as a gesture of goodwill or to return the sponsor's support of sports event. Fan loyalty is measured by three factors in the measurement scale, namely situational involvement, attachment, and satisfaction. Sports sponsorship is measured by four factors, namely attitude toward sponsor, match between sponsor and event fit, favourability, and perceived ubiquity of sports sponsorship. A total of 330 respondents among the Malaysian Football League fans were selected for this study. The results of (r = 0.78) shows that fans loyalty significantly develop a strong connection and engagement with sports sponsorship. The focus of this study expanded and pursued to contribute to the increase of theoretical ways that support sports sponsorship.
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