INFLUENCE OF STAR PLAYERS ON ATTENDANCE IN THE GHANAIAN PREMIER LEAGUE
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Abstract
Attendance at sporting events is influenced by a myriad of factors including the presence of star players on teams. Despite this, there is little literature on the influence of star players on attendance at matches in the Ghanaian Premier League. Therefore, this study investigated whether the presence of star players can affect match day attendance in the Ghanaian Premier Football League. With an online survey developed with a google form, 205 football fans agreed to take part in the study. The study used both targeted and snowball sampling techniques to reach the fans. An initial principal component factor analysis was performed to group the items under factors while Cronbach alpha was used to determine the reliability of the scales and to check internal consistency. In the descriptive statistics, fans rated all items above 3.5 out of 7.0, except two items under brand loyalty. This suggests that fans found star players to be influential in deciding whether to attend football matches or not. Again, a multiple regression analysis was performed to determine which of the identified factors; Brand Image and Direct Equity, Brand Loyalty and Brand Equity is more likely to predict the Attendance Intentions of the fans. At the final stage of the analysis, only Brand Image and Direct Equity was significant and explained 46% of the attendance intentions. The study recommends to the stakeholders within the football industry to involve star players in their promotional activities to attract fans to stadium.
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