What influences season ticket holders’ satisfaction and renewal intention? the role of season ticket service quality

ABSTRACT

Purpose:

The current study investigated the influence of service quality factors on season ticket holder (STH) satisfaction and intention to renew their season tickets. The current study was particularly interested in exploring the unique contribution of the season ticket-specific service quality on STHs’ satisfaction and retention in the context of professional sports.

Design/Method:

Data were collected from 646 STHs from a Major League Baseball (MLB) team using an online survey. The findings from the hierarchical multiple regression models confirm the influence of the STHs’ team identification, three gameday service quality dimensions (game, facility, and interaction qualities factor), and the season ticket service quality (STSQ) on their level of satisfaction and intention to renew their season tickets.

Findings:

Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that all groups of predictors contribute to predicting STH satisfaction and intention to renew, together explaining 42.4% and 34.7% of the variances in satisfaction and renewal intention, respectively. Results showed the importance of the season ticket service quality in satisfying and retaining STHs, even after controlling their team identification and gameday service quality.

Originality/Value:

The findings of this study provide helpful tips for sport managers to ensure important service qualities and train their service employees accordingly.

KEYWORDS:

• Season ticket holders
• service quality
• renewal process quality
• off-season service
• team identification
• gameday experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).