Title: The indirect impact of sports team reputation on the relationship between CEO's image and spectator loyalty in the professional Thai football league

Authors: Kanoknan Suchao-in; Thee Trongjitpituk

Addresses: Department of Sports Science and Sports Development, Faculty of Allied Health Science, Thammasat University, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand ' Department of Sports Science and Sports Development, Faculty of Allied Health Science, Thammasat University, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand

Abstract: Strategic brand management in sports marketing has tended to focus on the impact of team brand association on spectator loyalty; however, sports team managers may lack effective communication regarding their activities to increase loyalty. Very little research has been done on the direct and indirect impact of CEO's image and sports team reputation on spectator loyalty. This study aims to investigate the role of sports team reputation in increasing the effect of CEO's image on spectator loyalty. This research conducted a sample of 900 spectators who attended home games in the professional Thai football league, using a 36-item questionnaire from previously developed scales. The results demonstrated that sports team reputation played a key role in mediating the causal relationship between CEO's image and spectator loyalty. This research not only encourages the marketing communication strategies in the sports business but also provides data for managers to increase their spectator loyalty.

Keywords: chief executive officer; CEO; sports management; marketing communication; brand image; sports team reputation; spectator loyalty; structural equation model; SEM; professional football league; Thailand.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMP.2024.135190

International Journal of Management Practice, 2024 Vol.17 No.1, pp.51 - 66

Received: 04 Oct 2021
Accepted: 11 May 2022
Published online: 02 Dec 2023 *