THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE INTENSITY AND FAN ENGAGEMENT ON PERCEIVED SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC VALUE CREATION AMONG THAI SPORTS FANS

Abstract

This study examines how social media use intensity and fan engagement influence perceived sustainable economic value creation among Thai sports fans. Using data from 250 respondents and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the analysis tested the relationships among social media use, fan engagement, and sustainability-related value perceptions. The results show that social media use intensity strongly enhances fan engagement, and that both social media use and fan engagement significantly increase perceptions of sustainable economic value. The model demonstrates moderate explanatory power (R² = 0.412 for fan engagement; R² = 0.336 for sustainable economic value creation), underscoring the role of digital engagement in shaping fans’ sustainability perceptions. These findings extend the understanding of digital fan behavior and provide practical implications for sport organizations seeking to leverage social media to support long-term, sustainability-oriented value creation.