Saudi Football Club Fans' Curiosity and Impulsive Buying: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Intensity An Applied Study on Football Club Fans in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Given the importance of the link between fan curiosity, the intensity of social media usage, and the propensity for impulse buying coupled with the scarcity of local empirical testing of this mediation model within the Saudi context and the limited number of applied studies examining this causal pathway specifically among football fans, this study aims to identify the relationship between Saudi football club fans’ curiosity and impulsive buying behavior toward sports products and services associated with clubs, and to analyze the mediating role of social media use intensity between them. The study adopted the descriptive-analytical approach using the field survey method. Data were collected through an electronic questionnaire administered to a sample of 690 male and female football club fans in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results showed that the level of fans’ curiosity was relatively high, social media use intensity was evident, and impulsive buying behavior appeared at a moderate level. The findings also revealed positive and statistically significant correlations among the study variables. In addition, fans’ curiosity had a positive and statistically significant effect on social media use intensity, and social media use intensity had a positive and statistically significant effect on impulsive buying behavior. The study also found that social media use intensity played a partial mediating role in the relationship between football club fans’ curiosity and impulsive buying behavior. The study recommends enhancing football clubs’ responsible use of social media and developing attractive marketing content that considers fans’ characteristics and purchasing behavior in the digital environment.