Relationship between Motivational Factors of Online Sport Consumption and Future Behavioral Intentions among Korean College Sport Fans (2017)

IntroductionMore than 40 % of the world's population has used the Internet, including approximately 85% of the population uses in Asia (Internet Live Stats, 2016). Demonstrating the rapid growth of medium of, 40% of participations indicated that they had personal computers and used the Internet for many purposes such reading articles, shopping, watching video, and communicating with others (Hur, Ko, & Valacich, 2007). In particular, South Korea was ranked as one of the most connected online markets; more than 80 % of the population of South Korea had used the Internet, Korea's internet service provide the highest speed and significant capabilities of Wi-Fi services worldwide (Statista, 2015). In addition, 99.8 % of Koreans between ages 10 and 30 connected to the Internet every day (Statista, 2015), and 53 % of college students in Korea had visited a sport-related website through the Internet (Jang, Hwang, & Choi, 2008). While college students are called as the net generation and digital natives (e.g., native speakers of the language of computers, video games, and the Internet), and it is important to understand major internet users' motive for consumption and their patterns in the industry (Helsper & Eynon, 2010; Prensky, 2001; Yong, Gates, & Harrison, 2016).Sports visit sports-related websites to check scores and team products, and purchase tickets to sporting events, and partake of entertainment resources such as articles and videos (Suh & Chang, 2006). Separately, more than $3 billion has been spent online on sports-related merchandising, including apparel, footwear, and game tickets (Jupiter, 2000). This growth in the sports industry indicates that the Internet is becoming a major tool for sports marketing at the same time that successful business strategy directly leads to organizational accomplishments with ongoing revenue sources (Brown, 2003; Duncan & Campbell, 1999; Hur et al., 2007; Kahle & Meeske, 1999). Moreover, Hur et al. (2007) stated, sport marketers need to identify psychological needs and predict consumption decisions of online consumers (Hur et al., 2007, p. 522). Sport consumption is characterized by individuals' expenditure on and uses of services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires (Solomon, 2014), and many scholars have investigated significant needs related to online sports consumption, such as convenience, entertainment, escape, interpersonal communication, team support, and technical knowledge (Joines, Scherer, & Scheufele, 2003; Hur et al., 2007; Koraonkar & Wolin, 1999; Parsons, 2002; Seo & Green, 2008; Stafford & Stafford, 2001).Increasingly, the relationship between consumers' motivations and their purchase behaviors has been a common antecedent in literature, focusing on individuals' actual online consumption decisions and its relationship with consumers' needs (Carbarino & Strahilevitz, 2004; Wann, Grieve, Zapalac, & Pease, 2008). Another important aspect of online sports consumption with a focus on improving business success concerns dissimilarities in sports consumption patterns based on motivational patterns (James & Ross, 2004; McDonald, Milne, & Hong, 2002). In particular, Ko (2016) noted that there is a need to understand Korean online sports motivation and its patterns of behavior in Korea given that Korea provides the most advanced high-speed Internet technology, which in led to among the most extensive online consumption in the world (Ko, Choi, Lee, Lee, & Segev, 2016).Although a number of studies have specified motivational factors that influence online consumption (James & Ross, 2004; McDonald et al., 2002; Wann et al., 2001; Wann, Grieve, Zapalac, & Pease, 2008), there is still little known about how motivation to use sports-related website usages differs, and how it influences consumer behaviors (e.g., visiting game events, watching games on TV, and purchasing merchandise). …