Patriotism, national athletes and intention to purchase international sports products

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of patriotism and identification with national players on identification with the NBA and, ultimately, with purchase intentions of league-related merchandise. Findings revealed that the interaction between patriotism and identification with national players was a significant predictor of identification with NBA, which in turn was a significant predictor of purchase intentions of league-related products. The moderated mediation model fit the data quite well and explained 44.5% of the variance in purchase intentions. Theoretical implications of the findings, as well as practical implications for sports managers, are discussed.

Citation

Rocha, C.M. and Fink, J.S. (2015), "Patriotism, national athletes and intention to purchase international sports products", International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 57-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-16-02-2015-B005