Athletes behaving badly. Team identification and the off-field behaviour of athletes: Effects on consumer intention in traditional and non-traditional sporting contexts

This research extends team identification and social identity theory by investigating whether fans react differently to off-field athlete behaviours based on their support for teams in traditional or non-traditional sporting leagues. The data from three independent samples indicates that prosocial and antisocial off-field athlete behaviour significantly influences consumer intention in a non-traditional setting, with results indicating the less identified a person is with their team the more susceptible they are to off-field athlete behaviour changing their consumer intention levels. Conversely the off-field behaviour of athletes did not significantly impact consumer intention among the traditional participants