Can Concessions Take You Out to the Ballpark? An Investigation of Concessions Motivation

Mark A. Slavich
Lisa Rufer
and Gregory P. Greenhalgh

As sport facilities place greater emphasis on their concession offerings, the outcome of these improvements is of interest. With previous research examining concessions as part of service quality, the current study explored the possible motivating ability of concessions in the minor league baseball (MiLB) context. Utilizing factors from the Motivation Scale for Sport Consumption (MSSC) and Scale of Event Quality in Spectator Sports (SEQSS), an online survey assessed fans’ motivations to attend MiLB games. Results indicated neither food nor beer motivated spectators to attend sporting events, as only the social motive predicted fans’ future intentions to return to watch the team. In addition, no differences were found in concession motivation according to gender, age, or attendance frequency. Implications of these results are discussed as facilities seek to utilize concessions to enhance the sporting event experience and potentially motivate fans to attend.