Theses and dissertations

This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students. 

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The Price of Loyalty: How Sports Gambling Will Impact the Modern Fan

Description
In 2017, the last full year before the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States, over $4.8 billion was legally gambled on sports in Nevada alone. This number pales in comparison to the estimated $150 billion that is…

In 2017, the last full year before the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States, over $4.8 billion was legally gambled on sports in Nevada alone. This number pales in comparison to the estimated $150 billion that is gambled illegally on sports in the United States every year (Liptak, Draper). These numbers have continually grown year-over-year as the interest and demand in sports gambling has steadily increased. This trend will continue s states begin to legalize sports gambling and gambling operators set-up shop, allowing hundreds of thousands of people who had never placed a bet because of its limited access to now be able to do so. As fans begin to place legal bets on sporting events, there will be three types of fans who place bets: those who will never place a bet on a game involving their favorite team, those who will bet on games involving their favorite team but never against their favorite team, and those who will place bets on games involving and against their favorite team. This project explores how the modern sports fan will be impacted by the widespread legalization of sports gambling throughout the United States of America. As fans are able to place legal sports bets through their phones, computers, or at local sportsbooks and casinos, it will be interesting to see if the loyalty they have towards their favorite team remains as strong as ever or becomes divided between their favorite team and sports bets.
ContributorsGoldstein, Matthew (Author) / McIntosh, Daniel (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Remember This: Creating Sports Fans from Memories and Experiences

Description
Sports have always incited an emotional response in fans unlike anything else and creates a special relationship between fans and their favorite sports team. However, in the current age, attendance numbers have started to fall, due to games being available on multiple platforms for viewers to watch in their own…

Sports have always incited an emotional response in fans unlike anything else and creates a special relationship between fans and their favorite sports team. However, in the current age, attendance numbers have started to fall, due to games being available on multiple platforms for viewers to watch in their own homes, along with the increased competition in the entertainment industry. Teams are seeking new ways to leverage that relationship with their fans in order to draw fans into their games. This study will look at the history of fandom and reasons why people remain loyal to “their team” year after year. In turn, fan loyalty and increased attendance translates to increased revenue for teams across all sports. As part of this study, existing literature was reviewed covering the following areas of fandom: fan loyalty, memory association, and team actions that will impact fans. This research will aid in developing hypotheses to test on why fans remain fans and how their fan dedication develops. A questionnaire was then developed to find the reason why a fan is so dedicated to their favorite team. Respondents are asked to self- identify as a fan type in order to quantify the label of “fan” and build a deeper analysis within the questions being asked. The three fan options are diehard, casual and social fans. The following analysis explored why people are fans and what factors influence their level of fan loyalty. From that, recommendations were developed for professional sports teams to take advantage of the factors found in the analysis. The hope is that they will be able to translate psychological factors and an emotional connection into a concrete strategy to drive ticket sales and revenue.
ContributorsTassinari, Isabella (Author) / McIntosh, Daniel (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05

The Importance of the Younger Generation of Fans within Sports, Specifically Baseball, and How to Maintain and Grow this Demographic of Fans

Description

As fan demographics of major professional sports continue to increase in age, research on youth fandom continues to be a topic of interest for researchers. There are relatively few studies in the space that adequately address the issue of an aging population of fans and highlight the importance of growing…

As fan demographics of major professional sports continue to increase in age, research on youth fandom continues to be a topic of interest for researchers. There are relatively few studies in the space that adequately address the issue of an aging population of fans and highlight the importance of growing fandom starting at a young age. There have been previous studies that have looked at sports fandom and age demographics on a broader scale. This thesis aims to add on to that research by focusing more closely on younger fans and their experience with baseball prior to their college years. The data presented in this thesis was conducted through a predominately qualitative online questionnaire. This research is primarily focused on investigating three topics of interest within the consumer behavior realm of the sports industry. First, to provide a baseline understanding of what factors in childhood potentially impact a person’s likelihood of fandom as they age. Second, to look into promotions and activations that could potentially influence a consumer's behaviors and likelihood of attendance at a Major League game. Third, to provide a comprehensive look at whether or not the understanding of baseball impacts if a person is a fan of the sport. With the data collected from this research, the MLB and individual professional baseball teams can look into ways to capitalize on the findings of the research to promote youth fan engagement. Furthermore, this research identifies a significant need for the league and/or teams to invest in youth fandom and fandom enhancement opportunities.
ContributorsGonzales, Aubrianna (Author) / McIntosh, Daniel (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2023-05