A Comparison of Reaction of Fans of Own and Rival Teams to Sponsors (Case Study: Isfahan Sepahan and Zob Ahan Clubs)

The aim of the present study was to compare the reaction of fans of own team and rival team to sponsors in Isfahan Sepahan and Zob Ahan teams. This study was descriptive / survey and the statistical population comprised of all fans of Sepahan and Zob Ahan teams in the 13th season of Iran Pro League (IPL).The sample size (n=367) was selected using stratified random sampling method. The content validity of the researcher-made questionnaire was confirmed by 8 sport management professors and their reliability was obtained through Cronbach alpha as follows: Sepahan: r= 0.83 and Zob Ahan: r=0.86 and they were confirmed. Descriptive statistics were used to describe data and to verify hypotheses at 0.05, U Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation were used. The results showed a significant difference in sponsors’ support for football between the fans of own team and rival team (0.0001). Also, there was a significant positive relationship between public image of sponsors of both teams and interest in sponsors and advice advertisement between fans of Sepahan and Zob Ahan teams (0.0001). There was no relationship only between public image of sponsors of Zob Ahan team and advice advertisement between the fans of Zob Ahan team (0.23). The clubs are recommended to create a favorable and positive image of sponsors in the fans of both teams so that the sponsor companies can achieve their goal of supporting as well as competitive advantage and increase their support for football.