Green fans, green clubs: How sustainability initiatives shape fan behaviour in professional sport

This study examines how fans perceive pro-environmental sustainability initiatives promoted by a professional football club and investigates whether these perceptions influence social, environmental, and economic behaviours associated with the triple bottom line framework. Sport organizations increasingly use their social influence to promote environmental sustainability, yet little empirical research has examined how fans actually respond to these initiatives, how they influence fan loyalty, consumption and broader pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours in everyday life.

The authors collected survey data from paying members of FC Porto across two stages using online questionnaires (n = 1,043 and n = 2,167) to validate a new scale measuring fans’ perceptions of pro-environmental sustainability initiatives in sport and to test its influence on social, environmental, and economic dimensions of the triple bottom line.

The findings showed that positive fan perceptions of the club’s environmental initiatives significantly increased environmentally favourable social behaviours, such as discussing sustainability with friends and acting more responsibly at other events. Fans who approved of and adhered to the club’s sustainability initiatives were also more likely to engage in pro-environmental daily practices and consumption decisions, while simultaneously showing stronger economic support toward the club through future attendance, purchases, and recommendations.

Thus, sustainability initiatives can generate measurable social, environmental, and commercial benefits for sport organizations when fans perceive them as authentic and meaningful. The authors argue that professional clubs should integrate sustainability more strategically into fan engagement and communication efforts, as sport organizations can act as influential platforms for encouraging wider societal behaviour change.

CITE: Cayolla, R. R., Escadas, M., Biscaia, R., Kellison, T., Quintela, J. A., & Santos, T. (2023). Fans' perceptions of pro-environmental sustainability initiatives in sport and triple bottom line benefits. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 24(2), 395-421. DOI: 10.1108/IJSMS-07-2022-0141