Sports Marketing in Small Neighborhood Stadiums

Abstract

In recent years, the significance of small local venues as a key factor in the advancement of sports, physical activities, and social interactions in local communities has increased. To ensure their survival in the sports business environment, managers of professional and academic organizations must address challenges such as high costs, intense market competition, growing fan dissatisfaction, declining relationships, and rapid technological advancements. This study aimed to design a neighborhood-based sports marketing model using the mixed marketing theory. The research method was descriptive-correlational, employing structural equation modeling. The statistical population included coaches and professionals active in small sports venues, with a total of 256 participants in this study in 2022. Data were collected through a questionnaire on marketing in small sports venues and analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method in SmartPLS software. The findings indicated that all marketing components, including process, pricing, positioning, product, place, promotion, and public relations, had a direct and significant impact on mixed marketing as well as on economic and social outcomes. These results confirmed the proposed model and demonstrated the substantial influence of marketing components on the economic and social outcomes of small local sports venues. This study can contribute to improving marketing strategies and decision-making for managers of small venues and, ultimately, enhance community participation and engagement in sports activities.