Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

12-2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph. D.

Department

Health and Sport Sciences

Degree Program

Educational Leadership and Organizational Development, PhD

Committee Chair

Greenwell, T.C.

Committee Member

Hancock, Meg

Committee Member

Ingle, William Kyle

Committee Member

Frederick, Evan

Author's Keywords

Sport consumer behavior; ticketing platforms; trust; price consciousness; user interface design; official sponsorship

Abstract

This research study examined key experiential and demographic factors associated with sport consumers’ choice of online ticketing platforms. The research applied the technology acceptance model (TAM) to examine how trust, official sponsorship, user interface design, and price consciousness are associated with consumers’ choice between different online ticketing platforms.. Data were collected from 312 adult sport consumers in the United States through an online survey distributed across six Reddit communities focused on ticketing or research activities. Participants included individuals who bought tickets to professional sports events and attended these events during the last 12 months. The expert review process and two pilot studies confirmed the reliability and validity of the measurement scales, which achieved coefficients ranging from .80 to .91. A binary logistic regression model evaluated how the four independent variables (trust, official sponsorship, user interface design, and price consciousness) were associated with platform selection between Ticketmaster and other platforms. The analysis revealed that trust was the leading factor determining platform selection, as consumers valued reliability, authenticity, and security during online ticket purchases. Official sponsorship was also significant because team and league partnerships made respondents view platforms as more legitimate. User interface design and price consciousness had minimal impact on platform selection. Additional findings showed no age-related differences, but sex acted as a moderator, making trust more important for male consumers. These results advance understanding of digital sport consumer behavior and offer practical guidance for ticketing companies seeking to strengthen credibility and sustain loyalty in an evolving market.

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