Fan Expectations on Digital Services in German Professional Football
Main Article Content
Abstract
The rising demand for online services and new technologies for connected stadiums and fan experience is compelling professional football clubs to adapt their fan relationship management (FRM) strategies to the digital transformation. Understanding and incorporating fans’ expectations on digital services is essential for customer satisfaction. However, there is a significant research gap in this area. To address this, an online KANO survey (Kano et al. 1984: 165) was conducted with 7387 fans from a German Bundesliga club, examining participants’ reactions to 25 digital service attributes (e.g., mobile payment or ticketing, VR stadium tours). The survey identified the unspoken fan preferences, which were clustered into five segments and prioritized. Results revealed that only a few features, such as a club app, an online fan shop, in stadium Wi-Fi and a club-owned web radio, are critical for overall satisfaction. Most features showed indifferent ratings, indicating the need for more segmentspecific analyses. While fan segments differ slightly in expectations, many remain indifferent to new features, highlighting the importance that clubs communicate the service values. Given the constantly changing expectations, it is essential to let fans participate actively in building a digital club infrastructure to avoid malinvestments.
Keywords: Digital Fan Experience, KANO Survey, Fan Relationship Management, German Professional Football, Expectations on Digital Club Services
Bibliography: Habenstein, Dominic/Barton, Marie-Christin/Ingwersen, Florian: Fan Expectations on Digital Services in German Professional Football, FuG – Zeitschrift für Fußball und Gesellschaft, 2-2023, pp. 137-156.
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