Why America(n football)?
Reasons for picking a favourite team among Hungarian NFL fans in the light of identification
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14267/VEZTUD.2025.01.02Keywords:
satellite fans, social identity theory, team identification, fan identificationAbstract
The global sports market is increasingly driven by „satellite fans,” individuals who support teams outside their local markets. This article utilizes Social Identity Theory as a framework to understand how Hungarian sports consumers become fans of a culturally unembedded sports product, namely American football, the NFL, and its various teams. A survey of 437 respondents revealed a total of 22 sources for their selection of and identification with their favourite team. The most common responses were the team’s star player, memorable first games, and the strength and playing style. Domestic NFL fans are more likely to think that there is a difference between fans of American football teams and fans of other sports than there is between fans of individual teams. Therefore, it can be concluded that Hungarian NFL fans have an established sense of identity, focusing primarily on the sport and secondarily on the team.Downloads
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