Designing football matchday experiences: influence of stadium experience touchpoints on fan evaluation outcomes

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines how spectators evaluate their matchday experience in a professional football stadium and identifies the specific stadium touchpoints that most strongly influence satisfaction, memorability, and key behavioural intentions. Design/ Methodology / Approach: Data from 299 FC Barcelona matchday spectators were analysed using a dual approach: threshold analysis to assess the effort needed to shift satisfaction levels, and multivariate ordinal regression to estimate the effects of touchpoints, team performance, and fan avidity on six key fan evaluation outcomes. Findings: Threshold analysis showed that satisfaction and memorability require major service improvements, whereas behavioural intentions improve with moderate enhancements. Stadium access, plaza events, and restroom cleanliness were the strongest drivers of key outcomes. Food and beverage variety chiefly affected purchase intentions, while team performance influenced all outcomes and avidity shaped purchasing behaviour. Practical Implications: Results provide stadium managers with a prioritized roadmap for resource allocation, highlighting the touchpoints that result in the highest experiential and commercial returns. Research Contribution: This study links specific matchday touchpoints to multiple fan evaluation outcomes through a novel dual-method approach. Originality: This study advances existing knowledge by using in-stadium matchday data and employing a threshold-based framework that identifies the touchpoints with the greatest impact on fan engagement and commercial outcomes, linking experiential assessment with actionable revenue strategies.