Beyond Reality: The Role of Innovation in Virtual Sport Events

Daniel Martínez-Cevallos; Mario Alguacil Jiménez; Carlos Pérez Campos; Ferran Calabuig

doi:10.5755/j01.ee.36.2.36667

Authors

Daniel Martínez-Cevallos Central University of Ecuador, Ecuador
Mario Alguacil Jiménez University of Valencia, Spain
Carlos Pérez Campos Catholic University of Valencia, Spain
Ferran Calabuig University of Valencia, Spain

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.36.2.36667

Keywords:

Innovation, Sporting Events, Quality, Value, Satisfaction

Abstract

With the arrival of Pandemic COVID, most sporting events were suspended, including popular foot races, known for their massification and occupation of public space. This global situation forced sporting events to innovate to become safer and to continue offering their activities despite the restrictions. From this evolution, virtual editions of many events emerged and promoted a new format that is still in force. The present study addresses the role of innovation from three perspectives: service newness in the market, incremental service innovation and technology-focused innovation, to subsequently explain the perceived quality, perceived value and satisfaction with the event. The sample was 560 participants of the Medellin Virtual Marathon. Results show that incremental service innovation and technology-focused innovativeness are important to explain perceived quality, while newness in the market is not. Subsequently, quality influences value and value influences satisfaction. Therefore, innovation must be considered in the management of virtual sporting events.

Author Biographies

Daniel Martínez-Cevallos, Central University of Ecuador, Ecuador

Daniel Martínez-Cevallos is a Professor at the Central University of Ecuador, PhD in Sports Management (University of Valencia, Spain). Specializing in Marketing and Sports Management. Member of the Sports Management and Innovation Research Group (SMIrg) of the University of Valencia. His research is focused on areas of sport management and marketing, especially in the brand and quality perception and user satisfaction in sport-related services and events organizations.

Mario Alguacil Jiménez, University of Valencia, Spain

Mario Alguacil Jiménez is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Sport Sciences at the University of Valencia. He holds a PhD in sports management (University of Valencia) and a PhD in marketing (University Jaime I). His research interests are consumer behavior in the sports context, brand management, and the analysis of the relationship between brand perception and the results of sports-related entities. He is associate editor of the sports management area of the Spanish Journal of Physical Education and Sports, a journal created by the COLEF, which is the Council aimed at representing professionals in the field of sports in Spain.

Carlos Pérez Campos, Catholic University of Valencia, Spain

Carlos Pérez Campos, PhD in sports management, is a full-time professor at the Catholic University of Valencia. His main research areas are the analysis of the quality of service in relation to sporting events as well as the perceived quality and satisfaction of spectators and athletes who participate in sporting events.

Ferran Calabuig, University of Valencia, Spain

Ferran Calabuig, PhD in sport management, is an associate professor at the University of Valencia and leads the Sport Management & Innovation Research Group. His main lines of research are related to sport consumer behaviour, sport marketing, sport sponsorship, sport entrepreneurship, and sport tourism. He publishes regularly in prestigious international journals such as Journal of Business Research, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Industrial Management and Data Systems, International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, among others.