Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Information Technology Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Sport, especially football, is one of the most important cultural and social phenomena in contemporary societies. Sports fans, in addition to being consumers, function as influential promotional agents for teams; the nature of their cognitive and affective engagement with the team brand can influence their promotional behaviors. This study aimed to examine the impact of fans' cognitive and affective engagement on sports promotional behavior, with the mediating role of brand love, among fans of Iranian Premier League football teams. The research was applied and descriptive-correlational in method. The statistical population consisted of fans from 16 Premier League teams in 2024, and the sample size, determined by Cochran’s formula, was 384 individuals. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires: the cognitive and affective engagement scale by Hollebeek et al. (2014), the brand love scale by Carroll & Ahuvia (2006), and the sport brand love model by Tavormina (2013). Additionally, aspects of promotional behavior were assessed using adaptations from Bagozzi et al. (2016) and Amani (2025). Sampling was done non-randomly and accessibly. The reliability of the tools was confirmed, with Cronbach's alpha exceeding 0.7 for all variables. Data were analyzed via structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 3.0 software. The results showed that both cognitive and affective engagement have significant positive effects on brand love. Moreover, these types of engagement directly strengthen fans' promotional behavior. Brand love also has a significant positive effect on promotional behavior and mediates the relationship between engagement (cognitive and affective) and promotional behavior. The findings indicate that club managers can promote fans’ promotional behaviors by strengthening cognitive and affective bonds and enhancing brand love.
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