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Given the rise of sport non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and sponsorships from cryptocurrency companies in the sport industry during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this paper aims to critically frame the partnerships between cryptocurrency and sport by exploring the reception of fan tokens amongst supporters of three English Premier League clubs: Manchester City, Everton and Crystal Palace.

Drawing upon the emerging critical scholarship on cryptocurrency and the political economy of professional football, this study uses digital ethnography in an attempt to understand the major themes emanating from the online forum discussions amongst fans in response to the issuance of fan tokens by the aforementioned three clubs, among other types of partnerships with crypto companies.

The supporters’ critical deliberations revolved around the contradictions of fan tokens (as a means for supposed “fan engagement” or for financial speculation) and the utility of cryptocurrency for the public. These reactions in turn showcase a larger tension underlying the financially unstable professional football industry: the contest between the owners and the fan bases over the exchange value (for profit) and use value (for community) of the clubs.

This paper is one of the first studies to adopt a critical framework to examine the emerging partnerships between sports and cryptocurrency companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides one of the first in-depth analyses of the critical receptions of sport NFTs amongst sport fans. While contributing to the literature on fan activism/protest in the context of the commercialization and commodification of sport, the paper also raises new questions on the responsible use of cryptocurrency/NFT in sport.

This study examines the relationships among residents' event impact perceptions, attitude towards events, attitude towards sponsors and sponsor-related behavioural intentions (i.e. purchase intention and word-of-mouth).

Focusing on the Naha Marathon in Okinawa, Japan, as a research context, data were collected from residents of Okinawa who were familiar with the Naha Marathon and its sponsors (N = 322). Structural equation modelling was employed to test the hypotheses, developed based on theories of social exchange, image transfer and planned behaviour.

The findings revealed that residents’ perceptions of social event impacts, rather than economic and environmental impacts, were associated with attitudes towards the event. Such an effect was indirectly associated with purchase intentions and word-of-mouth intentions via attitude towards the sponsors.

The current research contributes to the literature on sport sponsorship, especially in participation-based sports, by exploring how event sponsors can enjoy fruitful returns on investment. The findings can extend our understanding by highlighting the importance of positive community engagement for sponsors. Sponsors who aim to enhance consumer behaviour should prioritize strategies aligning with the positive social impacts of events.

Online brand communities (OBCs) and their role in determining consumer behavior is gathering interest of theorists and practitioners. This study examines the role of OBCs in influencing the level of involvement leading to perceived sport team brand equity (STBE) of sports fans from a social exchange theory perspective. The role of self-congruity as a moderator is examined to determine the differences in the level of involvement and attachment of fans in OBCs.

Based on quantitative research and convenience sampling, data for the study were collected from 394 football fans who were existing members of OBCs. The research model is tested using partial least square structural equation modeling.

The results show a direct and significant impact of brand involvement on brand attachment. Consumer brand engagement (CBE) mediates the relationship between brand attachment and STBE. While self-congruence does moderate the effects between brand involvement and brand attachment.

The study reveals the role of community related factors on sports fans’ perceived STBE. The study also provided a novel approach to examine sport fan behavior in social media through the lens of social exchange theory. Finally, it is providing a novel approach in examining role of OBCs in influencing behavior of sports team fans towards the team and brand.

The purpose of this study is to investigate and understand the performance of countries in individual Olympic Games, specifically focusing on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Employing cluster analysis and decision trees, the research aims to categorize countries based on their representation, participation and success.

This research employs a data-driven approach to comprehensively analyze and enhance understanding of countries' performances in individual Olympic Games. The methodology involves a two-stage clustering method and decision tree analysis to categorize countries and identify influential factors shaping their Olympic profiles.

The study, analyzing countries' performances in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics through cluster analysis and decision trees, identified five clusters with consistent profiles. Notably, China, Great Britain, Japan, Russian Olympic Committee and the United States formed a high-performing group, showcasing superior success, representation and participation. The analysis revealed a correlation between higher representation/participation and success in individual Olympic Games. Decision tree insights underscored the significance of population size, GDP per Capita and HALE index, indicating that countries with larger populations, better economic standing and higher health indices tended to perform better.

The study has several limitations that should be considered. Firstly, the findings are based on data exclusively from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which may limit the generalizability of the results to other editions.

The research offers practical implications for policymakers, governments and sports organizations seeking to enhance their country's performance in individual Olympic Games.

The research holds significant social implications by contributing insights that extend beyond the realm of sports.

The originality and value of this research lie in its holistic approach to analyzing countries' performances in individual Olympic Games, particularly using a two-stage clustering method and decision tree analysis.

This paper aims to identify why hotel employees in the Egyptian context accept the extreme job duties resulting from hosting too many mega sporting events and what outcomes they experience as a result.

The empirical data is based on semi-structured interviews with 36 hotel employees working in reservations, front desk and events management roles in four 4-star hotels located in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Thematic analysis was subsequently used to determine the main ideas in the interview transcripts.

The findings show that hotel employees accept the extreme job duties resulting from hosting mega sporting events for the following four reasons: linking pay with performance, difficulty finding alternative jobs, proving their occupational identity and being subject to patriotism. Furthermore, this paper highlights that the engagement of hotel employees in extreme work conditions during such mega-sporting events might be detrimental to their mental health, resulting in increased cronyism and gender bias among them.

This paper is a pioneering study to specifically investigate how hosting mega sporting events influences the extremity of work conditions for hospitality sector employees. Prior studies (to the best of the authors’ knowledge) have not theorised and empirically analysed this specific topic, especially in under-researched settings, such as developing countries in the global south.

This paper aims to provide an integrated legal and marketing perspective on the imminent trademark challenges and opportunities for sports organizations operating in the metaverse.

The approach is a legal commentary that explores the ways in which the current legal framework, especially in the context of trademarks, might need to transform to offer robust protection for sports brands in the virtual marketplaces emerging within the metaverse.

Our analysis reveals that the traditional legal frameworks for trademarks are often inadequate to address the unique challenges posted by the metaverse, such as the issue of virtual goods replication and the global accessibility of branded content. The findings indicate that sport organizations must adopt proactive strategies to monitor and enforce their trademark rights effectively within these expansive digital environments. Moreover, legislative bodies may need to consider reforms or new regulations specifically tailored to the complexities of trademark protection in the digital realm to prevent dilution and misuse of sport brands.

In light of legal and branding issues related to metaverse-based trademarks, this paper is dedicated to examining the legal principles and foundations necessary to enhance the protection of sports brands within the virtual marketplace of the metaverse.

This study analyzes the impact of sports social media on a country regarding three international events connected to the brand Spain. It examines (1) the use and importance of various social media platforms in sports events and (2) identifies the countries generating the most social media content.

A total of 1,711,084 posts were collected for analysis, focusing on FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, XLI Marathon Valencia Trinidad Alfonso 2022 and Davis Cup 2022, with a particular emphasis on the Spain brand. Through Atribus, diverse social media data were recovered and analyzed. Later, we recommended employing various metrics and ANOVAs to address the research questions. Additionally, we conducted a sentiment analysis.

The results show differences between (1) the use and relevance of social network platforms and events and (2) the content generated by different countries. The practical implications offer valuable insights for sports event organizers, destination managers and other stakeholders. The research implications suggest potential avenues for future research based on the observed patterns and behaviors in social media posts related to sports events and Brand Spain.

(1) Some papers have studied the role of sports events’ social media, ignoring the comparison among different social media platforms; (2) usually, previous literature has focused on a single event or sport and (3) although there is considerable research related to the strategic and operational Inés Küster Boluda Inés Küster Boluda role of social media, there is less systematic analysis related to the extent sports events use social media in general and in specific social media platforms and virtually nonexistent studies that employ index measurements.

本研究擬分析就三個與西班牙品牌有關的國際體育賽事而言，體育社交媒體對一個國家的影響。俱體而言，本研究擬探討： (一) 、各體育賽事社交媒體平台的使用和其重要性，以及 (二) 、是哪些國家生成最多的社交媒體內容。

研究人員收集共計1,711,084帖子以便進行分析;其焦點放在2022年卡塔爾世界盃 (即2022年國際足聯世界盃) ，2022年特尼利尼達阿方索馬拉松賽－瓦倫西亞 (XLI Marathon Valencia Trinidad Alfonso 2022) 和2022年台維斯盃;研究人員特別把重點放在西班牙品牌上。研究人員透過 Atribus 重新取得多種多樣的社交媒體數據，然後進行分析。之後，研究人員建議使用不同的度量和方差分析去處理各研究問題，以及進行了情感分析。

研究結果顯示了以下兩者之差異：(一) 、社交網絡平台和比賽項目的使用和關聯，以及 (二) 、不同國家生成的內容。從這個研究發現，體育賽事的籌辦者、目的地管理人員和其它利益相關者，均會獲得寶貴的實務啟示;至於就未來學術研究的路向而言，學者和研究人員或許可觀察關於體育賽事和西班牙品牌的社交媒體帖子裡顯示的模式和行為，從而找到合適的研究路徑。

本研究有以下的貢獻：(一) 、從前的研究多只探討關於體育賽事的社交媒體所扮演的角色，而忽略了要比較不同社交媒體平台的需要;(二) 、過去的文獻通常聚焦於單一的賽事或運動上;以及 (三) 、雖然探討關於社交媒體在戰略上和在操作上所扮演的角色的研究為數不少，但甚少研究、就體育賽事大體使用社交媒體的程度，或使用特定的社交媒體平台的程度進行分析和探討。再者，幾乎沒有學者或研究人員在有關的研究上使用指標測量法;就此三點而言，本研究可說填補了有關的研究空白。

The primary objective is to analyze the direct and short-run impact of hosting the FIFA World Cup on inward FDI, considering both aggregate and sectoral levels. Additionally, the study aims to investigate the moderating role of governance quality on this impact, emphasizing the importance of robust institutional frameworks in attracting FDI.

This paper uses panel data spanning 1970–2022, encompassing 12 countries that have hosted FIFA World Cup events. The study employs a linear regression model with a robust weighted least squares (RWLS) estimation method. It incorporates various control variables and the institutional quality as moderating variables, to evaluate the impact of hosting the FIFA World Cup on inward FDI at both aggregate and sectoral levels.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup is associated with a significant average increase of $4.33 bn in inward FDI at the aggregate level. Notably, governance quality serves as a critical moderating factor, with well-governed countries experiencing a more substantial increase in FDI, totaling $10.5 bn. At the sectoral level, the results reveal that poorly governed countries attract FDI in primary sectors, while well-governed countries attract FDI in secondary and tertiary sectors. This highlights the nuanced dynamics of FDI attraction depending on the institutional quality of the host countries.

A primary limitation lies in the scarcity of sectoral-level data, constraining the comprehensive study of the relationship between hosting mega-sport events and FDI. Future research could explore alternative data sources and methodologies to overcome this limitation. Additionally, extending the analysis to include other economic indicators beyond FDI could provide a more holistic understanding of the economic implications of hosting major international sporting events.

This study contributes to the literature by focusing exclusively on the FIFA World Cup and undertaking a comprehensive sectoral analysis. By incorporating governance quality as a moderating variable, it adds a nuanced layer to the understanding of the impact of hosting international events on FDI at the sectoral level. The findings underscore the importance of targeted strategies and robust institutional quality in enhancing FDI attractiveness.

The purpose of this study is to draw a scientific map of the Grand Tours cycling as part of the growing research field in this field at the global level. This study also identifies the components of scientific production in this field along with their collaboration patterns.

With the aim of achieving a comprehensive and deep understanding of the studies related to the Grand Tour, this research aims to address the existing gaps and provide a comprehensive summary of these scholarly works. To achieve this goal, the authors used a systematic and scientometric combination method, analyzing studies from the past half century (1970–2022).

The research findings reveal that scientific studies related to cycling events exhibit a geographical concentration within the continent of Europe, surpassing other continents. Notably, Spain, the USA, the UK and Italy emerge as pioneers in this field of inquiry. The main themes identified in these studies encompass cycling, the Tour de France, performance, professional roa cycling, heart rate, endurance, doping and power output.

This research, along with other systematic studies, contributes to the existing literature in this field by providing both quantitative and qualitative data. Additionally, the study serves as a foundation for identifying active and influential countries, institutions and authors in this domain. Such insights are highly effective in establishing scientific focal points in this field.

This study, in conjunction with the introduction of key figures in mega cycling event research, sheds light on the thematic areas explored within these studies. Notably, it is the sole study that has illuminated hidden facets of this field using scientometric and systematic methods.

Social media has revolutionized marketing communication (MC). Rugby is South Africa’s most professionalized sport, leading the industry in its business management structure as well as its high-performance achievements. However, below the professional level, local rugby clubs face a large disparity compared to their professional counterparts, often relying on volunteers or part-time employees to manage the organizations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate how non-professional rugby clubs use social media as a MC tool.

The study was exploratory, and a cross-sectional sample of twelve organizations was selected and employed a multiple case study approach. Club managers responsible for MC or social media participated in semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data analysis software, ATLAS.ti, facilitated the researchers’ use of an inductive approach to develop codes and themes for further analysis.

The findings revealed a high level of adoption of social media by the multiple cases (i.e. rugby sports club respondents), with only slight variations in the usage of specific social media applications (viz., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp). The sports clubs perceived that employing social media added substantial value to their MC. There were six emergent themes related to the organization’s perceived benefits from adopting social media MC, namely: brand awareness, relationship-building, player recruitment, attracting sponsors, storytelling, and information sharing.

The study makes a novel contribution in terms of how rugby clubs use social media as an MC tool. The paper advances scant knowledge and awareness of the relationship between South Africa’s sports marketing and social media. The conclusions will aid non-professional sports organizations in enhancing the effectiveness of their social media marketing by ensuring that their objectives and target audiences are well-defined.