Investigation of the relationship between football fans' community perception and their motivation to watch

This study aimed to examine the relationship between the sense of community and the spectating motivations of football fans. The study used the descriptive and relational survey model, which was included in the general survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group consisted of 355 sports fans, 57 women and 298 men, who were 18 years of age or older, held a Passolig card, and voluntarily agreed to participate. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. As data collection tools, a personal information form developed by the researchers, the "Social Capital Attitude Scale for Sports Fans," and the "Intrinsic Motivation Scale for Sports Spectators" were utilized. The Turkish validity and reliability study of the Social Capital Attitude Scale for Sports Fans was conducted within the scope of the present research. During the data analysis process, SPSS 25 and AMOS 23 statistical software programs were used. Significant differences were found in the sub-dimensions of the social capital attitude scale and intrinsic motivation for sports spectators according to gender, prior athletic experience in football, educational level, and occupation variables. Additionally, low to moderate positive correlations were found between social capital attitudes and intrinsic motivation sub-dimensions. These results revealed that when individuals perceived themselves as part of a sports community, their intrinsic motivation to watch sports competitions increased.