抄録
Neutral site sporting events have drawn increasing attention in recent years. One prominent example is the 2023/24 WE League Cup final, which achieved strong attendance figures despite the broader struggle to fill seats at regular WE League matches. Events held at neutral sites tend to offer a high-quality experience and draw spectators from both the host city and beyond, making it essential for organizers to understand what motivates people to attend—particularly when trying to grow a fanbase. Yet research in this area remains sparse. Studies examining spectator behavior at neutral site matches are limited, as is scholarship on what motivates fans of women՚s sport in Japan. This study addresses both gaps by comparing attendance motivations across three groups at the 2023/24 WE League Cup final: fans traveling from the competing teams՚ home cities, fans from the host city who supported one of the teams, and host city residents with no team allegiance. A questionnaire survey was administered at the event, yielding 398 usable responses—117 from hometown fans, 166 from host city fans, and 115 from host city non-fans. Through confirmatory factor analyses, ANOVAs, and multiple comparisons, the study identified significant differences among the three groups in six areas: interest in the team, interest in the WE League, preference for a wholesome environment, desire to bond with family, excitement-seeking, and connection to a men՚s team. Three motivations—general interest in soccer, the influence of role models, and support for women՚s sport—did not differ significantly across groups. These results reveal meaningful variation in what draws different spectator segments to neutral site matches, and point to the value of crafting targeted promotional strategies that reflect the distinct motivations of each audience.
