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The aim of this paper is to synthesise existing literature on sports stadia, spectators with disabilities (SwD) and accessibility to identify themes and to highlight the gaps in the literature. This review subsequently develops two propositions that will enable research in this emerging area to further develop.

The research was guided by two research questions: First, what does the peer reviewed evidence tell us about SwD and the accessibility of sporting stadia?; Second, how can this information be used to develop a Stadium Accessibility Scale (SAS)? The authors conducted a rapid review of the literature across three databases that identified 34 papers for synthesis.

The synthesis revealed three research themes: a focus on legislative compliance, the need to enhance resources (both physical and human) and research that focusses on moving beyond the stadium experience. The latter can be subdivided into two streams – studies that look at accessibility as a social legacy of major events and studies that seek to understand the whole journey that SwD's must make to attend sport events.

The study makes two key recommendations. The first is to encourage further research aligned to the HOPES framework (Paramio-Salcines et al., 2016) that explicitly recognises the importance of understanding the broader approach to the customer experience. The second is the need for the development and validation of a reliable SAS.

Greater accessibility provides a foundation for inclusive environments in sport. The findings are relevant for all stakeholders in sport as universal accessibility benefits more than people with disabilities.

At present, the evaluation methodology on the design innovation of the stadia is not complete. The degree of innovation of the design scheme of the stadia still cannot be quantitatively estimated; this inability makes it difficult to guide the selection of a design scheme. To solve the problem of evaluation on the innovative design of the stadia, improve such design’s evaluation theory, and accurately direct the selection of the design scheme of the stadia, the Delphi method is used to select evaluation indexes. Moreover, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to determine the index weight in this study; based on this index weight, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is used to establish the model of the design innovation evaluation of the stadia. The model involves the comprehensive and simple selection of indexes and the high reliability of weight selection; the model can quantitatively calculate the comprehensive index evaluation value of the design innovation of the stadia in a relatively accurate and rapid way. In this study, Hunan People’s Stadium is taken as the example for design innovation evaluation; the procedure of design innovation evaluation is introduced in detail. The design innovation evaluation value of the stadia is 2.977 through analysis; this value indicates an ordinary degree of innovation. The innovation evaluation value of the shape is 3.425; this value shows a relatively high degree of innovation. The innovation evaluation value of the structure is 2.47; this value represents a relatively low degree of innovation. The model in this study is an accurate and prompt model that can conduct a comprehensive evaluation on the design innovation of the stadia based on quantitative calculation. This model directly and comprehensively finds the advantages and disadvantages of a design scheme. Thus, it is quite suitable for the design innovation evaluation of the stadia.

Throughout sport, the incidence of commercial sponsorship is increasing and shows no signs of slowing. This case study examines the negative consequences that can arise when a corporate stadium naming rights partner (Enron) becomes embroiled in financial and ethical controversies and how its collapse affected the team that uses the stadium for its home games (Major League Baseball's Houston Astros). It examines public relations strategies and tactics the Astros used to disassociate themselves from Enron and to recapture public support.

The usage of sport stadia for public service is increasingly common and may come in different forms. In the COVID-19 pandemic, this included sport entities hosting mass COVID-19 vaccinations at their stadiums. The purpose of this study was to examine the branding effects of a COVID-19 mass vaccination center as communicated by (1) a sport entity (i.e. stadium and its two teams) and (2) the public.

The authors analyzed the entity's social media messages related to the mass vaccination center for the three groups, the stadium and its two sports team tenants (N = 48) while comparing the public's social media content about the vaccination center (N = 187). An empirical material coding analysis was conducted.

The sport entity's posts revealed 12 codes, five categories and two themes communicated about their brand: In this together–community impact and showcasing brand attributes. The public posts analysis revealed 21 codes, eight categories and four themes, creating brand awareness, establishing/reaffirming brand attributes, affective response and in this together–community response.

The identification of the two organization themes and four public themes provided an initial examination of the mass vaccination efforts' impact on the sport entity's brand. With the rise of stadia being utilized as public service venues (e.g. voting centers and disaster shelters), the results of the study can provide guidance to communicating the host team's brand during these times. Results also suggest the public perception of such service reflected positive opportunities for brand exposure and subsequent effects for the teams.

In order to ensure the high-quality completion of the construction of stadiums and gymnasiums and the smooth holding of the Fourteenth National Games, through on-the-spot investigation and collation of relevant literature at home and abroad, lessons are drawn from the experience of the planning and construction of the stadiums and gymnasiums of the recent three National Games. According to the investigation of the stadiums and gymnasiums in Shaanxi Province, the number, characteristics, overall layout and construction methods of the required stadiums are specifically analyzed. Taking Xi'an Sports Center as an example, from the point of view of the construction requirements of the main stadium of the National Games and the sports construction technology, the functional orientation and construction standards of the competition facilities and training base facilities are put forward. Especially for the planning and design of sports construction facilities including “one stadium, two gymnasiums”, Tennis Center and outdoor sports stadium, the specific index analysis is made. The index analysis provides suggestions for the compilation of the planning and design task sheet of Xi'an Sports Center, and provides reference for the planning and construction of other stadiums and gymnasiums for the Fourteenth National Games.

Two of the primary growth strategies for Major League Soccer (MLS) have been team expansion and the construction of soccer-specific stadiums. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between these factors and game-specific MLS spectator attendance.

Two multiple regression models, one using multi-level mixed effects linear regression and another using interval regression, were developed to explain the variation in attendance utilizing the two factors of interest along with other control factors that have been identified as attendance determinants in previous literature. Game-specific data were collected for five MLS seasons, 2007-2011.

The two regression models explained approximately 40 percent of the variation in spectator attendance and the results showed that expansion teams and soccer-specific stadiums were significantly related to attendance. However, the effect of soccer-specific stadiums was minimized due to the extreme success of the Seattle Sounders in drawing about twice as many fans as the next highest drawing franchise, yet playing in an American football stadium.

While many of the standard factors such as the presence of holidays and novelty players, competition from other professional teams, and day of week, competition from other professional teams; team quality failed to show significance. Expansion teams drew better than incumbent teams and the impact from soccer-specific stadia is weak given the success of the Seattle franchise (and possibly negative when excluding Seattle). Censoring of the dependent variable had a discernible impact on many of the attendance factors.

These findings may be useful to managers of MLS and their teams along with other professional teams and/or leagues that are investigating the use of either team expansion or the construction of new facilities to increase spectator attendance.

This is the first study to investigate the relationship between expansion and new stadium construction in MLS over multiple years. The results indicate that MLS’s decision to use team expansion and the construction of soccer-specific stadiums has been beneficial with respect to spectator attendance.

Although sports fans have increased their use of digital media to consume sport, especially at professional sport venues, it is unknown the extent to which patrons of said venues are utilizing venue services for these activities. As such, this study asks: (1) How much data do patrons at a sports venue consume via the provided Wi–Fi? and (2) What types of online activity behaviors do Wi–Fi users at sports venues exhibit?

This empirical study reports stadia Wi–Fi data usage and consumer behavior from three National Basketball Association venues in the United States: Amway Center in Orlando, FL, Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and Target Center in Minneapolis, MN, over a course of 7 games per venue.

The findings suggest that Wi–Fi usage is more limited than anticipated. Users who do utilize the venue Wi–Fi do so for very short periods, with the vast majority of user duration lasting between 1 and 10 min. Additionally, the halftime period of games experiences the peak of Wi–Fi usage.

By increasing our understanding of Wi–Fi usage in venues, this study informs relationship marketing theory research and contributes to the sport management literature. Practically, a better knowledge of Wi–Fi usage is critical, as it constitutes a critical antecedent to develop online marketing strategies.

Presents the findings from recent research into the management of public safety risks in British sports grounds. Discusses the concept of “safety culture” and briefly sets out the methodology adopted for the study. Reviews some previous work on “safety culture” analysis, and then cultural theory, introduces and offers a socio‐anthropological method of fourfold cultural categorization as the theoretical orientation. Reveals the four contrasting, viable and archetypical models of organizing the cross‐organizational collaboration required for public safety risk management in British stadia and other sporting venues. Concludes by drawing out some implications for public policy. Since there are four viable ways of organizing, and the management system at each venue will have evolved in response to its changing local environment, it follows that there is no “one best way” of managing safety at sports grounds.

Despite the growing number of corporate-sponsored sport facilities, public resistance to naming rights sometimes arises. In line with other supporter-based financial instruments such as fan bonds or shares, the possibility arises that a sport club’s supporters could invest in the stadium naming rights to secure a traditional name, possibly by initiating a crowdfunding project. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the factors separating potential capital providers from non-participants and to determine which factors influence the investment decision.

The authors used an online questionnaire to evaluate respondents’ willingness to participate in a crowdfunding project. The data were analyzed by logit and probit regressions. The link was posted to selected online fan forums as well as to clubs’ fan group caretakers in Germany. In total, 708 respondents fully completed the questionnaires. Additionally, the authors provided the initial results of a proposal for a hypothetical reward-based crowdfunding project that was also part of the questionnaire.

The findings indicate that the most involved participants who support traditional values in sports are the most willing to participate in a crowdfunding project. Thus, crowdfunding can actually be seen as a supporter-based instrument that is an alternative to existing sport facility naming rights models. However, the analysis also indicates that the sums that can be generated through crowdfunding are limited.

Insight into a relatively new financial instrument is provided, and an alternative approach to sport facility naming rights management is offered. Ultimately, a combination of a crowdfunding project with financing by a certain number of sponsors supporting a traditional name is proposed, which may be a possible future solution that sport facility naming rights management groups can pursue.