Sportscape Variables and Spectator Satisfaction Towards Willingness to Return to Designated Professional Women’s Soccer Events

Abstract

Women's sports research has experienced growing interest from sports marketers to better understand how and why individuals visit stadiums to support their teams. The stadium’s physical environment which is regarded as the “sportscape”, purported to have a significant influence on spectator revisit behaviour has also been greatly researched in developed markets. This study examines the spectator’s perceptions of distinctive variables of designated South African professional women's soccer stadium sportscape and their satisfaction leading to willingness to return for future matches, based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework from an emerging markets’ perspective. A quantitative research approach was employed using an online self-administered structured questionnaire, applying a non-probability sampling technique with study participants from Gauteng province. Regression analysis revealed significant predictive associations between stadium sportscape attributes (seat comfort, stadium accessibility, facility aesthetics) and spectator satisfaction towards their willingness to return to the stadiums. Results also suggest that the respondent’s propensity to return is heightened when their expectations are satisfactorily met. The study contributes useful insights to sports marketing literature and educates sports and stadium facility managers about the importance of spectator perceptions on sportscape attributes that tend to influence their facility revisitation behaviour.

Keywords

• satisfaction
• soccer spectators
• sportscape
• willingness to return