From Kickoff to Loyalty: Investigating Service Quality and Team Identity Impact on Danish Superliga Fan Behavior

Abstract

Football, which is globally celebrated as the most popular sport in the world, has undergone significant commercial transformation. Initially, football clubs began as community organizations and have evolved into major businesses. This shift has elevated the focus on fan engagement and club profitability, highlighting the important role of service quality in modern football. This research explores the impact of service quality on fan satisfaction and loyalty within the Danish Superliga. The study further addresses and examines how team identification influence perceived service quality, satisfaction and subsequent fan behavior. Employing a cross-sectional, explanatory method, this study analyzed responses from (N=865) Danish respondents. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis guided the measurement models, and structural equation modeling (SEM) evaluated the predicted relationships. Data was collected via an online survey to test hypotheses based on already established sports theories and frameworks. Analysis confirmed the significant influence of service quality and team identification on fan satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The main results include the positive influence of service quality aspects; game quality, customer service, and crowd experience, which all had a positive impact on satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Team identification had a positive effect on the general perceived service quality dimensions, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. A positive indirect effect of team identification on satisfaction and behavioral intentions further highlighted the significance of team identification. In this way, the study underscores the impact of multiple aspects (game quality, customer service, crowd experience) of service quality and team identification on fan satisfaction and behavior in the Danish Superliga. These findings contribute to the current literature in sports management by using already existing frameworks and theories and testing these in a new context. Service quality alongside team identification, are therefore important for enhancing fan experiences and loyalty, providing key insights for clubs and commercial management.