Special Report: China’s Sports Fandom - The formation mechanism of the “sports fandom circle” in the digital media era
Fan Voices: Special Report - China’s media formation mechanism of “sports fandom circle” in the digital media era: An analysis from the perspective of fan emotional dynamic development
The rise of the “sports fandom circle” has become a significant phenomenon in the digital media era, reshaping the emotional and social dynamics of sports fan communities. This study employs grounded theory methodology to analyze web-scraped data from 40 selected accounts on major Chinese social media platforms [Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and Bilibili] over a two-year period. These accounts were identified based on their focus on celebrity athletes [e.g., Fan Zhendong, Sun Yingsha, Wang Chuqin] and their engagement in fan-specific activities such as support, fan clubs, and voting. The analysis involved open coding, axial coding, and selective coding to construct an emotional interaction model. Our findings reveal that international sports events serve as emotional catalysts, where competition, nationalism, and athlete narratives trigger fans’ emotional arousal. Digital media platforms, including spatiotemporal extension, virtualization, and selectivity, amplify these emotions, fostering proximal emotional attachment to athletes. Through symbolic interactions and digital consumption, fans transition from individual engagement to collective emotional aggregation, solidifying their sense of group identity. However, in the reproduction process, the anonymity of digital media platforms can lead to emotional polarization, intensifying conflicts among fan groups, or facilitate emotional resocialization, fostering more rational and inclusive fandom behaviors. This study provides a theoretical framework for understanding the emotional evolution of sports fandom in the digital media era and offers practical insights for managing online fan communities, mitigating conflicts, and promoting a healthier digital sports culture.
Yuan Cheng, Yin Wu / Creative Commons Attribution License, / PLOS One
Classifying and Characterizing Fandom Activities: A Focus on Superfans’ Posting and Commenting Behaviors in a Digital Fandom Community
As digital fandom communities expand and diversify, user engagement patterns increasingly shape the social and emotional fabric of online platforms. In the era of Industry 4.0, data-driven approaches are transforming how online communities understand and optimize user engagement. In this study, we examine how different forms of activity, specifically posting and commenting, characterize fandom engagement on Weverse, a global fan community platform. By applying a clustering approach to large-scale user data, we identify distinct subsets of heavy users, separating those who focus on creating posts (post-heavy users) from those who concentrate on leaving comments (comment-heavy users). A subsequent linguistic analysis using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) tool revealed that post-heavy users typically employ a structured, goal-oriented style with collective pronouns and formal tones, whereas comment-heavy users exhibit more spontaneous, emotionally rich expressions enhanced by personalized fandom-specific slang and extensive emoji use. Building on these findings, we propose design implications such as pinning community-driven content, offering contextual translations for fandom-specific slang, and introducing reaction matrices that address the unique needs of each group. Taken together, our results underscore the value of distinguishing multiple dimensions of engagement in digital fandoms, providing a foundation for more nuanced platform features that can enhance positive user experience, social cohesion, and sustained community growth.
Applied Sciences/ MDPI - Yeoreum Lee, Sangkeun Park
Fandom and marketers: Here’s what the numbers say
From pop stars to sports, fandoms can be a great benefit to marketers, but not without risks, according to a recent Kearney report.
Marketingdive.com/Kearney
Here’s How Fandom Marketing Can Power Your Global Strategy
Embracing Fan Culture - As brands continue to recognize the power of fandoms, we’re likely to see more campaigns that celebrate fandom creativity, blending branded experiences with the unique passions of these dedicated communities. This evolution in marketing makes fandoms an invaluable asset for brands looking to build meaningful, long-lasting relationships with consumers.
Sociallypowerful.com
Power of Fandom: A Special Report
VIP+ Analysis: Insights for marketers on U.S. entertainment franchise fans and how to reach them in a fragmented media landscape.…
Variety
