The World is Watching Women’s Soccer: Audiences’ Multiplatform Experience During the World Cup

in International Journal of Sport Communication

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Tang TangSchool of Media and Journalism, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

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Christiana SchallhornJohannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany

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Qing GuoSchool of Media & Humanities, Zhejiang University City College, Chengdu, China

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Danielle Sarver CoombsSchool of Media and Journalism, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2021-0121
Keywords:
audience behavior; survey; cross-country differences; women’s sports
First Published Online:
04 Feb 2022
In Print:
Volume 15: Issue 2
Page Range:
127–138
Restricted access

This study offers a unique opportunity to understand audiences’ multiplatform experiences during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The authors conducted surveys in three countries—China, Germany, and the United States—to determine relationships between and among structural and identity factors that predicted viewership in each country. Results indicate that structural factors significantly predicted World Cup viewing on TV across all three countries, although some variation existed related to access. Furthermore, fandom and identity were significant predictors of viewing on digital platforms across all three countries. By better measuring the experiences and relationships within each country, this study offers a unique opportunity to present a true cross-country assessment to help build understanding of how global mega events are viewed across the world.

Coombs (dcoombs@kent.edu) is corresponding author, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6023-0447

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