Live spectators at sport events: motivations and constraints

The role of live fans and supporters is a crucial condition that drives sports events’ implementation. Their presence, participation and engagement can even affect the event’s final outcome (Grönroos, 2000; Gummesson, 2006). Despite the phenomenon of the repeat patronage (Pritchard et al., 2009), recently in Italy is emerging a significant decreasing of spectatorship at live sport events, confirmed by national statistical data referred to the professional sport events’ participation (e.g. Siae, Lega Calcio Serie A e Serie B, Lega Volley, etc.). Starting from the empirical evidence, the aim of the paper is to collect and analyze the literature that focuses on sport spectators motivations and constraints, to provide a deep understanding of the declining in live sport events spectatorship, trying to enlighten the main factors motivate and inhibit people from participating. Beside the motivations to “consume” sport, that have drawn a lot of attention from researchers (Funk et al., 2002; James, Ross, 2004; Kahle, Kambara, Rose, 1996; Kim, Greenwell, Andrew, Lee & Mahony, 2008; McDonald, Milne, Hong, 2002), this paper intends to provide a review of literature that examines constraints and barriers able to induce a drop out in terms of live sport participation (Pritchard, Funk, Alexandris, 2009; Madrigal, 2006). Work by authors on spectator consumption’s drop out, identify different types of barriers (Alexandris and Carrol, 1999; Lepisto, Hannaford, 1980; Pritchard et al., 2009). These are mainly related to personal traits and attitudes of people (cultural, personal and psycho-sociological constraints). Nevertheless, researchers even define barriers that involve external factors, related to the environmental context and the sport organization strategy (structural and marketing constraints). The decreasing of sport live attendance has many implications in several terms: from sports athletes and teams’ performances to sport management and organization, to communication and distribution of sports events. The aim of the paper attempts to focus on a possible analytical framework able to grasp the correlation between motivations and constraints linked to different inners aspects of sports, behavioral dimensions, infrastructural conditions, economic constraints, etc. The final proposal is the potential development of a joint comparative analysis in different sports and in various European contexts.