Linking sport team sponsorship to perceived switching cost and switching intentions

Research question/purpose: Although literature has focused on the impact of sponsorship on the customers’ purchase intentions, the impact of sport team sponsorship on switching intentions on service providers remains a largely overlooked research topic. The study addresses this gap by examining the effects of sport team sponsorship on the switching intentions of service customers, who at the same time are sport fans. Research methods: The study draws on a sponsorship agreement between a mobile telecommunication company (sponsor) and a European professional football team (sponsored team). Through a survey, 261 responses were collected and subsequently analysed using structural equation modelling techniques. Results and findings: The results suggest that enhancing the relationship of fans with the team and its sponsor–as well as increasing their level of involvement with the sport–can contribute to increasing the perceived switching cost of the fans regarding mobile telecommunications services. Similarly, strengthening the fans’ attitudes towards the sponsor can reduce their likelihood of switching to another telecommunications provider. Implications: As the first study to examine the effects of sport team sponsorship on the switching intentions of service customers who at the same time are sport fans, this paper adds to academic understanding of the impacts of sport (football) involvement, team-brand attitude, sponsor-brand attitude, and sponsorship fit on switching intentions and on perceived switching cost of the sponsor’s customers. In doing so, the study also investigates how team identification and sponsor affiliation moderate the influence of the aforementioned attributes.