Substitute or Complement?. Dwyer, Drayer, Greenhalgh and LeCrom SUBSTITUTE OR COMPLEMENT? FANTASY FOOTBALL AND NFL FANDOM BRENDAN DWYER , Virginia Commonwealth University JORIS DRAYER , Temple University GREG GREENHALGH , Virginia Commonwealth University CARRIE W. LECROM , Virginia Commonwealth University National Football League (NFL) fandom is among the most popular leisure pursuits in North America. Within this fandom lies an ancillary sport activity termed fantasy football. This pastime has exploded in the past two decades to include over 17 million participants and create a $3.5 billion economic impact (FSTA, 2013). Despite this growth, critics suggest fantasy football diminishes the NFL experience by distracting NFL fans, devaluing defensive players, and most importantly, damaging team loyalties. Given these accusations, this study investigated the moderating relationship of fantasy football -related media consumption on the relationship between commitment and favorite NFL team media consumption. The study was guided by the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). A multiple group structural equation model was proposed. Discussed are the theoretical results as well as practical implications for marketers and managers looking to more completely understand the impact of fantasy football participation on brand loyalty and traditional NFL fandom. INTRODUCTION Goss, 2007). The current North American fantasy sports market is estimated to include There is no question professional sport fandom over 35 million individuals over the age of 12 is a highly popular leisure activity in today’s competing in some form of the activity society. The sport marketplace has responded to (Fantasy Sport Trade ---Association [FSTA], the enormous interest, and sports fans currently 2013). It is also estimated to have a $3.5 billion have a litany of opportunities and outlets in economic impact when one includes the media which to spend their recreational time and products and services associated with the disposable income. Sport consumption, activity and accounts for over $800 million in consequently, comes in many forms including, direct spending annually (FSTA, 2013). Nearly but not limited to the following: live event every major professional sport from the attendance, merchandise acquisition, broadcast National Football League (NFL) to the National viewership, social media interaction, and Lacrosse League has a fantasy game. Fantasy publication subscriptions (online and in print). activities have also recently gained popularity Fantasy sport participation, or the act of among non -sport entities such as politics, managing a fantasy sport team, is also a form of movies, and primetime television like The sport consumption that has grown rapidly over Bachelor (ABC) and The Deadliest Catch the past few decades. (Discovery). Fantasy sports participation is defined as an Of particular interest to marketers, recent ancillary service of professional sports that is research has found the activity influential in directly tied to real -life game outcomes and altering a sports fan’s connection with sport statistics. It is mostly played online and professional sport (Drayer, Shapiro, Dwyer, includes several influential factors Morse, & White, 2010; Dwyer, 2011; Roy & (psychological, social, & market -driven) that Goss, 2007). This is an intriguing because, as draw in participants and keep them engaged stated above, it is an ancillary service of throughout an entire regular season (Roy & professional sport where the unique competitive outcomes associated with playing create borderline addictive behaviors for its The Marketing Management Journal Volume 23, Issue 2, Pages 71 -85 participants, but it is not directly tied to a Copyright © 2013, The Marketing Management Association All rights of reproduction in any form reserved professional team’s or the league’s primary objective of team achievement. The average 71 Marketing Management Journal, Fall 2013 Substitute or Complement?. Dwyer, Drayer, Greenhalgh and LeCrom fantasy football participant owns and manages REVIEW OF LITERATURE 15 NFL players/units spread throughout the entire league. Each week this participant Brand Loyalty competes against an additional nine players/ units owned by an opponent. The participant is The relationship between a team and a sport left with a competitive interest and/or curiosity fan, regardless of intensity level, is ultimately a in nearly every NFL game played each week. form of brand loyalty. According to Aaker For participants with a previously established (1996), brand loyalty is a consumer’s resistance connection to an NFL team, the result of the to change from one product to another in the added competitive interest potentially puts face of shifting attributes (i.e., product features, individuals in position of choosing between advertising, distribution, etc.). Keller (1998) one’s fantasy and favorite team. That is, with a refers to loyalty as brand resonance, a four limited amount of time and money to consume factor element that includes repeat behavior, NFL football and limited supply of games, the attitudinal connection, sense of community, and compelling nature of fantasy football active engagement. Extended to the spectator participation has the potential to dilute one’s sport, team performance is uncertain and nearly connection to their favorite team or brand impossible to manage from a marketer’s loyalty (Dwyer, 2011). perspective; thus, brand loyal sport consumers are paramount to organizational sustainability In other words, with its unique orientations and and ensuring fan interest in spite of team a limited supply of games, it could be argued performance (Boone, Kochunny, & Wilkins, fantasy sports participation is in direct 1995; Gladden & Milne, 1999; Ross, 2006). In competition with traditional (team -focused) addition, spectator sport is influenced heavily sport fandom. Some commentators have gone by one’s social networks and by the active so far as to argue it is destroying the integrity of engagement of vicarious achievement (Trail & professional sports (Spyridakos, 2011; Swartz, James, 2001; Wann, 1995). As a result, 2008). For instance, Spyridakos argued fantasy opportunities to build loyal fans exist, yet it is football (1) challenges team loyalty when your crucial for sport marketers and managers to fantasy players play against your favorite NFL constantly monitor brand perceptions and team, (2) devalues defensive players because implement strategic brand management. most fantasy leagues do not include individual players on defense, and (3) undermines Strategic brand thinking is a complex system of watching live games because fantasy goals and objectives, programmatic decisions, participants are often equally interested in other and performance evaluations (Keller, 1999), games occurring simultaneously. While these and it is evident by the amount of interest in the claims are bold, they may be warranted as subject that brand strategy is crucial in an research in this area is in its infancy. From a organization’s success or failure (Aaker, 1996; league or individual team perspective, Keller, 1998; Pearson, 1996; Weilbacher, understanding the impact of fantasy football 1993). The service brand loyalty literature, in participation is paramount as it will aid in their particular, points to customer satisfaction as an positioning of the activity within the important factor creating loyal consumers organization’s brand strategy. Currently, the (Bloemer & Kasper, 1995; Caruana, 2002). league and teams have enthusiastically Brand saliency has also been found to directly supported the activity, but is this unquestioned influence the choices and decision making of support beneficial? Given this intriguing consumers (Ehrenberg, Barnard, and Scriven, circumstance, this study employed Fishbein and 1997). Brand saliency refers to the clarity, Ajzen’s (1975) Theory of Reasoned Action conspicuousness, or pronouncedness of the (TRA) to investigate the impact of varying product or service (Reber, 1997). If differences levels of fantasy football participation on exist between the brand’s core concept traditional NFL team loyalty and media expressed by the organization and perceptions consumption. of the product by the consumer, an abstract brand meaning will result (Franzen & Moriarty, 2009; Ries & Trout, 2000). In this case, the visibility, importance, and relevance of the Marketing Management Journal, Fall 2013 72 Substitute or Complement?. Dwyer, Drayer, Greenhalgh and LeCrom brand concept are at risk as the mind of the schema behind their preference, and are able to consumer is clouded. This can ultimately freely initiate choices that are meaningful” (p. undermine brand equity. Brand saliency is of 344). distinct importance for this study as fantasy football could be seen as a competitive brand Mahony et al. (2000) were the first to develop a extension of traditional NFL team fandom with construct and instrument solely within the the potential to challenge favorite team loyalty. context of spectator sport. Drawing from the work of Pritchard et al. (1999), the researchers Team Loyalty developed a 14 -item Psychological Commitment to Team (PCT) scale. The scale The construct of team loyalty has roots in both specifically emphasized the resistance of marketing and branding literature as well as the changing preference toward a particular fields of leisure and sport management. Similar professional sport team. To tie this construct to to customer loyalty,