Virtual fan communities (VFCs) have become a popular online platform for millions of sport team fans to interact and share information. Traditionally, teams, leagues, and their close affiliates have assumed control of these communication platforms as free services for fans. However, a marked increase in third-party VFCs have given rise to a growing number of independent sites focused on monetization via subscriptions. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a subscription-based third-party VFC indirectly affiliated with a large university athletics program. Data were...Read more
