Understanding the Marketing Implications of Sport Rivalry: What we know and Where we are Headed

Abstract

The topic of rivalry is a favorite in sport popular culture. Fans, media members, and participants frequently discuss who is a rival team, what constitutes a rivalry, and what rivalries are most relevant in sport. For example, if one turns the television to a sport channel or visits popular sport media websites, they will almost certainly be exposed to a story, highlights, or discussion about rivalry. The phenomenon is\nso popular among sport fans that major television and media outlets have labeled portions of seasons accordingly (e.g., college football???s Rivalry Week typically runs the last regular season week when most traditional rival teams play and Major League Soccer has recently started to promote Rivalry Week two times during its season). However, given the attention the topic receives from fans and the popular media, academic research only recently began to focus on understanding and explaining this topic. The purpose of this special issue is to highlight the phenomenon, and present empirically driven ideas that can help academicians and practitioners better understand the marketing implications of rivalry in sport.\nRivalry in sport begins with the study of social identity (Tajfel, 1974) and group behavior (Turner, 1982), in which an antagonistic relationship creates an\nin-group and an out-group. Competition reinforces the ???us versus them??? mentality and intensifies rivalry. This introduction will first visit what we currently know\nabout rivalry in sport, including both the antecedents that lead to the phenomenon and consequences of its presence. We will then discuss future directions of\nstudy that will help academicians and marketers better understand how rivalry influences fan reactions and behavior. Finally, we will briefly introduce the four\narticles included in this special issue, helping further understanding on the phenomenon and providing a foundation for new directions of inquiry into rivalry\nin sport.

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