The Mediating Effect of Team Identification on the Relationship between Social Media Consumption and Intentions

The purpose of this study was to (a) identify the motivational factor for subscribing to collegiate athletics' social media (b) analyze the effect of subscribing to collegiate athletics' online social media on team identification (c) analyze the effect of subscribing to collegiate athletics' online social media on behavior intentions mediated by team identification. The study also examined the difference across demographic information which can be used for fan segmentation. By analyzing a total of 146 undergraduate students from University of Arkansas Recreation and Sport Management classes, this dissertation found the following. This study verified seven motives for subscribing to school teams' social media including information, diversion, socialization, pass-time, fanship, team support, technical knowledge through a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In addition, a result of multiple regression indicated that five of seven motives including diversion (B = .210, p < .01), socialization (B = .220, p < .001), fanship (B = .184, p < .05), team support (B = .139, p <. 05), technical knowledge (B = .218, p < .001) significantly predicted social media consumption. According to a result of simple regression, social media consumption significantly predicted team identification, F(1, 144) = 61.35, p <. 001. Both the linear relationship between team identification and intention to recommend [F(1, 144) = 120.24, p <.001] and the linear relationship between team identification and intention to attend the game [F(1, 144) = 210.00, p <.001] were statistically significant. Furthermore, this dissertation found the mediating effect of team identification on the relationship between social media consumption and intentions based on a four step approach (Baron & Kenny, 1986). These results will expand the growing literature on social media in sport and offer practical data for marketers to use social media more effectively.