The distant fan segment : Exploring motives and psychological connection of International National Basketball Association fans

Purpose With the available technological tools, fans are able to access sport products regardless of geographic proximity. Through technology, fans can follow sports teams from other countries. In contrast to previous research focused on the local fan, in this paper we report on a study of a group of distant fans – Chinese National Basketball Association (NBA) fans – as the focal object. The study was guided by three questions: RQ1 : what motives drive a distant fan’s involvement with their favorite NBA team? RQ2 : are there differences in the motives associated with the different stages of psychological connection among distant fans? RQ3 : are there differences in the amount of media consumption at the different stages of psychological connection? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was distributed to consumers of a Chinese sports message board to assess the motives of distant fans ( n =281) following teams in the NBA, and strength of psychological connection to the NBA based on the psychological continuum model (PCM). Findings There were significant differences in the motives for following a distant NBA team among the respondents at different stages of psychological connection. Significant differences were also found among Chinese NBA fans at the respective stages regarding media consumption. Originality/value This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge regarding sport fandom. It is one of the first studies to include an assessment of the sport consumption motives of distant fans, more specifically, motives influencing Chinese fans’ consumption of the NBA. Utilizing the PCM allows for the segmentation of a specific fan population and to ascertain whether there are differences in the motives and behaviors associated with different stages of an individual’s psychological connection with a team.