The drivers of team attachment and repurchase behavior are complex. What remains unexplored is to examine the effects of spectator motives on team attachment and repurchase behavior among event attendees of a new professional sport league. Using a sample of 1228 attendees at J. League games in 1998, the authors demonstrate that (1) spectator motives consist of six factors, (2) the attraction-stage motives have significant effects on the attachment-stage motive (soccer club attachment) that in turn influences attendance frequency, and (3) the effects of the attraction-stage motives on the attachment-stage motive are enhanced by two moderating variables (gender and stadium size). The results suggest that managers must differentiate the marketing of individual athletes from the marketing of game, soccer, and club, specifically for male consumers and spectators attending games at small stadiums.
