Factors affecting collegiate sports season-ticket holders'

satisfaction and renewal intention

Steve Chen, William Salazar, and Lynne Fitzgerald Morehead State University
2009 Annual AAHPERD Convention, Tampa, Florida

Introduction Results Top 5 Reasons for Reviewing Season Tickets

Purpose: Rank Reason Score

Major Characteristics of Fan Demographics:
(1) Examining the fan satisfaction on perceived service quality 1 The games provide great entertainment 4.17
(1) Male: 128 (52.9%); Female: 114 (47.1%)
(2) Identifying motives for attending basketball games
(3) Identifying the season ticket holders’ intention for renewing their (2) Two main age groups: Under 30 (55%) and Above 50 (28/%) 2 I have a strong interest in attending the sport 4.06
season-ticket package. (3) 68% are students and local fans and are 94% White events
(4) 64% took less than 15 minutes to travel to the games 3 My love for sports is strong 4.04
Benefits: (5) 71% spent less than $50 on MSU merchandises 4 Ticket purchasing process is at ease 3.95
(1) Finding strategies to expand the current fan base 5 The matches are exciting 3.94
(2) Retaining current season ticket holders Specific Characteristic of Season Ticket-holders:
(3) Finding strategies to improve services and promotional activities (1) 52% own the season ticket less than 3 years; 22.4% are long- Top 5 Ratings in Services
time fans (own the season ticket more than 10 years)
Rank Reason Score
Review of Literature 1 Safety of the environment/arena 4.23
Three Major Influential Factors for Game Attendances :
(Loading = .636) 2 Condition of the event facility 4.11
Satisfaction of the Season-Ticket Holders:
Criteria for evaluation: ticket costs, accessibility to facilities, 3 Performance of the coaching staff 4.10
Social and psychological motivation (SPM), 3.93
entertainment value, services to season-ticket members, on-field 4 Game atmosphere 4.01
performance, communication, quality of facilities, and food services. A Characteristics and performance of the team (TEAM) 3.68
5 Administration of the athletic staff 3.98
high level of satisfaction would tend to generate a high potential of future Amotivation (i.e., I got nothing to do). 3.67
ticket purchases.

Fans’ Satisfaction on Three Key Service Categories : Overall Impression

Motivating factors for Game Attendance:
Winning is probably the most single dominant factor in increasing fan (Loading = .690) Statement Score
attendance. Star athletes are also an important factor that draws fans to Management of event and facility (MEF) 4.06 I would love to renew my season ticket again 4.25
athletic events. Identified Socio-psychological factors for attending
sporting events: game schedules, discretionary income, competing Ticketing related business (TRB) 3.70 I am satisfied with the provided service quality 4.12
activities/events, fan loyalty and event satisfaction. Food and entertainment (FET) 3.76 I am satisfied with my season ticket holder’s status 4.11
I have received a great deal out of the package 4.03
Renewal Intention of the Season Ticket Holders:
Key factors that affect season ticket holders’ renewal intentions: (1) team Four Factors Affecting Renewal Intention:
performance, (2) the economy (3) game competitiveness, (4) athletic (Loading = .701)
event, (5) social interactions and (6) star athletes. Conclusions
Administration and tangible services (ATS) 3.87
Team performance (TP) 3.37
Methodology (1) The participants’ perception on the management of event and
Social-related concerns (SRC) 3.33 facility (MEF) is the best predictor for their overall satisfaction.
Participants and Procedure: Love for sports (LOVE) 4.06 (2) Season-ticket holders’ willingness to renew could be best
(1) 94 season-ticket holders and 148 non-season-ticket holding predicted by their perceived ratings on Administration and Tangible
Services(ATM) and Team Performance.
attendees (including 115 students)
(3) Participants who tended to value ATS, were more likely to have
(2) Participants were attendees at three MSU home games in early a higher level of overall satisfaction and better satisfactory rating in
Top 5 Reasons for Attending Games:
February in 2008 MEF.
(3) Participants were randomly selected in a “convenient” sample Rank Reason Score (4) Participants’ satisfaction and willingness to renew season tickets
1 The ticket price is very reasonable 4.21 varied significantly based on demographic classifications.
Instrument : 2 I want to be with my friends/family 4.13 (5) This study reaffirms the concept that athletic departments could
(1) A modified questionnaire based on the studies of Beccarini and still remain optimistic about its ticket sales by aggressively
3 I want to be part of atmosphere 4.11
Ferrand (2006), McDonald and Shaw (2005), and Pan and Baker (2005). marketing their added services and special fan incentives
4 I feel happy when I watch others 4.07 (6) As long as the offered season-ticket packages and improved
(2) The 60-item survey covered five major sections: (1) demographic
information, (2) motives for attending athletic events, (3) reasons for playing service quality were valued by all spectators, a mediocre
renewing season-tickets, (4) satisfaction toward the existing services and 5 The game is very exciting 4.00 performance by the team did not effect attendance.
programs, and (5) overall satisfaction and renewal interest.