This document summarizes a study on fan engagement and the relationship between sports teams and their fans through social media. It discusses how social media allows for unprecedented access and engagement between fans and teams. The study focuses on fan behaviors and social media use to support sports marketing, and provides observations and techniques for future research. It aims to add to the academic discussion on how fan culture has evolved in the new digital environment.

1. ‘Fans & Fandom’
{
An enquiry into fan engagement
Alan J Seymour
EASM 2014

5. The Follow ME Approach

7. Expert
Tribal
Celebrity
Fandom Following-ETC

10. 1 Humanize and Personalise
Teams
and Athletes
2 Offer Fans Unprecedented
Access
to Teams Through Unique
Content
3. Make Fans Contributors to
Teams
and Unite Them

11. SPORTS FAN SUMMIT
by Emma Carroll
Fans are worth more to a sporting club than
membership, merchandise and ticket sales - the
true value of a fan is their opportunity to become
engaged with the code, club and game itself.
Sports Fan Summit in Melbourne
30 June – 2 July at the MCG, Melbourne

12.  https://www.surveymonkey.
com/results/SM-SMZT7CX8/
{ Research Results

14. {
 http://m.sportsbusinessdaily
.com/Journal/Issues/2014/04/
07/Opinion/Sutton-
Impact.aspx
One of my favorite aspects
of these events — besides
the initial sell — is the
creation of the story that
can be retold over and
over. Most teams provide
some type of keepsake, in
most cases a photo that
commemorates the event
attended. When displayed
in the attendee’s office, it
often starts conversations
that begin with the
question, “Where was that
picture taken?”
Emotional connection-fans
& team

15. {
 http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=HySzVQnB0Go&feat
ure=player_embedded
Good content
garners good
engagement
FAN STUDIES

16. What is a fan? A person who cannot be anything other than
devoted, loyal, obsessed, stubborn, blinkered or all of these? As
stated in the Urban Dictionary a sports fan is‘ A person who loves
sports as an entertainment outlet and is highly interested in one or
more sport or sports team’
(http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sports%20fanat
ic).
Psychologists are closing in on the conclusion that sport has many of the same
effects on spectators as religion does [Barber, 2012]. As considered by Daniel
Wann [2001], a leading sport psychologist at Murray State University, and his
co-authors:
"The similarities between sport fandom and organized religion are striking.
Consider the vocabulary associated with both: faith, devotion, worship, ritual,
dedication, sacrifice, commitment, spirit, prayer, suffering, festival, and
celebration." p. 198

17. This study ‘Fandom & Followers’ investigates the social media and tribal affiliations
with sports properties & fans via social media and in particular Twitter
The study will focus on two key constructs namely a) Fan behaviours and associations
with new media and technologies that support sports club marketing and b) The
involvement of research processes for sports clubs, as well as some interesting
observations and techniques for future researchers in sports studies
The purpose of the paper is to enlighten both practitioners & academics of the power of
social media in enabling the fan experience to enhance the future prosperity of sports
brands and properties against competing pursuits in the very competitive sports
business markets. Further, the growing importance of fan inputs on sports properties
and their dialogue with fans, is essential for sports events and leisure pursuits to
continue to increase their identities and engagements with all fan tribes & participants
In summary, as Paul Booth illuminates in his seminal work on Digital fandom (2010),
this paper aims to add to the debate on describing fan culture in in a new digital
environment as well as explaining and adding to the academic landscape with new
explanations for media conceptions, as demonstrated by the fans on Twitter and similar
micro blogging platforms.

18. Events dictate
fanaticism
{ http://m.firstpost.com/blogs/what-makes-
a-sports-fan-into-a-sports-fanatic-
1667233.html

19. Any questions?
{ Contact
Alan.seymour@northampton.ac.uk

20. References
Browning & Sanderson, J (2012) The Positives and Negatives of Twitter: Exploring How Student-
Athletes International Journal of Sport Communication, 2012, 5, 503-521
Booth (2010) Digital Fandom: New Media Studies Paul Lang Publishers New York
Sanderson, J., & Kassing, J.W. (2011). Tweets and blogs: Transformative, adversarial, and Integrative
developments in sports media. In A.C. Billings (Ed.), Sports media: Transformation, Integration,
consumption (pp. 114–127). New York: Routledge.
Dugan, L. (2012, February 21). Twitter to surpass 500 million registered users’ Retrieved from
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/500-million-registeredusers_b18842
Seymour, A & Thompson, R (2011) Action Replays Sports Conference University of Northampton
2011
Fuchs, C. (2014) Social Media: A critical Introduction London Sage
T L Tuten & M R Solomon (2013): Social Media Marketing: New International Edition Pearson
London
M S Barker, D I Barker F Borman & K E Neher (2013) Social Media Marketing: A Strategic Approach
1st Edition Cengage Learning Stamford