Exploring the Impact of Commercial Sponsors on Spectator’s Satisfaction of the Euroleague Basketball.

The main purpose of this dissertation is to explore the link between spectator’s satisfaction and sponsors of the Euroleague Basketball (EB) with special focus on social identity theory. The problem statement relies on understanding how the Henri Tajfel and John C. Turner's, (1979) social identity theory shapes sponsorship effectiveness of the EB in light of the satisfaction levels of spectators when attending live games. The approach of this exploration research was taken from a deductive point of view and it is interpretivist in nature. The research design is conducted using the triangulation method which combines both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data was gathered conducting a Content Analysis of social media platforms using NVivo and an in-depth individual (IDI) interview. Quantitative data was gathered conducting a survey using a non-probability sampling based on the purpose of the research and the conceptual framework. The survey was distributed via Facebook in three major EB groups and resulted in 66 participants. Findings showed that positive spectator’s satisfaction involving positive game satisfaction and service quality influence brand recognition and awareness, revisit intentions and purchasing intentions. High team identification levels influenced brand recognition and awareness, revisit intentions and it significantly influenced purchasing intentions regardless of game satisfaction and service quality. While this analysis lacks strong conclusions, since the work is exploratory and interpretative, the data focused on presenting every element of the conceptual framework developed with respect to the research objective and can be used for future studies to further extend the research in this context