BioLawrence Bell

Fayetteville, NCSport Management Major ‘16

Marketing MinorSports Marketing Association

ESPN Events

NFL Viewership

Introduction

NFL Conception

Professional football became the most popular sport in America around the 1960s.

Image Problem

AFL-NFL Merger (1970)

NFL Growth

Television

Blackouts

Icons

NFL Today

NFL Focused Channels

Fantasy Football

Color Rush

Popularity of the NFL

37 of the 50 most viewed games from 2014 were NFL games.

PurposeTo identify motives for NFL viewership amongst

college students at a Division II institution.

More specifically, to identify fan’s psychological ties

to the NFL and the extent to which they’re affected

by them.

ProblemQueen's University of Charlotte has never had a

football team. It remains to be seen what sort of

presence the NFL has on our undergraduate

audience.

Hypothesis

1

Most people will consider themselves to be avid fans.

2

Female fans are more so drawn to the NFL as a result of certain social aspects.

3

Gambling is not a major player for undergraduate students.

4

A favorite team’s success and failures often affect the self esteem of a fan.

5

There are very few differences in NFL fan engagement between lower and upper classmen.

Research Questions

Question 1

What is the overall biggest influencer amongst men and women as it relates to watching and following the NFL?

Question 2

What internal factors prompt fan motivation and how do they compare to those that are external?

Question 3

Does family or peers have a heavy influence on an individual’s NFL fandom?

Question 4

What connects

fans to their

favorite teams

and how are they

psychologically

affected by the

team’s success or

failure?

Participants27

Men

23

Women

Avid

Frequent

Occasional

16

Freshman

8 Sophomores

10

Juniors

16

Seniors

Survey: Dr. Wann’s Sport Fan Motivation Scale (Modified)

● Eustress

● Self-esteem

● Escape

● Entertainment

● Aesthetic

● Group Affiliation

Results94% of all subjects responded negatively

when asked about gambling.

Men among all classes rated highest in

eustress and entertainment.

Women among all classes rated highest

in group affiliation.

All 8 Sophomores answered neutral for

group affiliation questions.

Self Esteem did not prove to be a big

player in regards to motivation

Based on the data, it can be concluded that….

➔Fairly strong level of viewership and engagement➔Motivated by atmosphere

➔External > Internal ➔Age does not correlate to

level of viewership. However, it does correlate

to self-esteem➔Men are motivated by

Eustress➔Women are motivated by

Group Affiliation

Conclusion