A Study on the Consumption Behavior of Shanghai Sharks Fans Based on Identity Theory

The sports industry has grown rapidly in recent years, but the problem of its irrational industrial structure has also come to the fore. In order to improve the industrial status of competition performance, many sports researchers have chosen to look at professional sports clubs and professional sports leagues to find effective measures to improve the industry’s poor structure. As the main driving force behind the development of clubs and leagues, fans are a popular research subject. This research examines the differences between fans’ identity-based sports consumption behavior and other consumer behavior when they are the main consumers. Therefore, the core issue of this study is the study of fan consumption behavior based on identity theory. The study selects Shanghai Sharks basketball fans as the respondents and explores the relationship between fan identity and fan consumption behavior from the perspective of the influence mechanism. Literature, content analysis, questionnaires, and rooted theory were used in the research process to study fan consumption behavior in conjunction with identity theory. Based on the research, the following conclusions were drawn: Firstly, it was proved that the fan identity model has some scientific validity and that self-identity, social identity, and cultural identity constitute the identity of Shanghai basketball fans. Secondly, it is further verified that the Shanghai basketball fan identity has a more significant influence on the consumption behavior of fans. Specific suggestions are also suggested to enhance Shanghai basketball fans’ consumption tendencies and behavior.