The Role of Faraway Fans In Sporting Event Sponsorship Why Sponsor Patronage Is Stronger Among Fans Who Travel Far to Events

Consumers routinely experience sponsored events near and far, and whether the attendee is a local or not may affect the event sponsorship's impact. With data from a professional cycling event (n=2,394), results show that attendees traveling from farther distances tend to be more knowledgeable about the sport than local attendees. This contributes to higher levels of fan identification among fans from far away, which, in turn, strengthens their fan attachment to the sporting event in comparison with that of local fans. Highly identified fans tend to be more attached to a sporting event, thereby increasing their desire to support sponsoring brands through sponsor patronage intent.