The Influence of Sports Celebrities’ Image on Fan Loyalty and Engagement on Social Media

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of sports celebrities' brand image dimensions (i.e., athletic performance, marketable lifestyle, and attractive appearance) on fan loyalty and the role of fans' social media engagement in this relationship. To this end, a convenience sample of 445 Portuguese fans is described, concluding that there are some significant relationships between the athlete's image determinants and social network engagement with the athlete on the one hand, and fan loyalty on the other. However, the direct impact of the athlete's personal brand dimensions on fan loyalty is rather weak, while the impact of marketable lifestyle and attractive appearance on fan loyalty is influenced by fans' engagement with the athlete on social media. In fact, fan engagement with the athlete on social media partially significantly mediates the relationship between athletic performance and fan loyalty and between the athlete's lifestyle and fan loyalty. Thus, the way fans perceive an athlete's lifestyle and appearance plays a critical role in determining fan loyalty. These findings underscore the importance of the athlete's efforts to engage in social networks to strengthen their relationship with fans and thus foster fan loyalty. Our findings support the idea that there has been a shift in the way fans engage with sports celebrities and that digital age technologies may play a role in this relationship.