Economic Sustainability in Sports Ticketing: The Role of Technology Acceptance Factors and Blockchain Capabilities

Document Type : Original research papers

Authors

1 Department of Sport Management, Sport Sciences Faculty, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

2 Department of Sport Management, Sport Sciences Faculty, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

3 Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: With the advancement of technology in the sports industry, achieving economic sustainability in key processes such as ticketing remains a significant challenge. Digital technologies, including electronic ticketing and blockchain, offer opportunities to enhance transparency, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. However, user adoption and technical complexities pose barriers to realizing these benefits.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the simultaneous role of technology acceptance factors and blockchain capabilities in achieving economic sustainability within the context of digital ticketing in the Iranian Premier Football League.

Material and Methods: The study population comprised managers and experts associated with the Iranian Premier Football League, selected through purposive and convenience sampling (N=184). Data were collected using standardized questionnaires on technology acceptance factors, blockchain capabilities, and economic sustainability. The validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by eight sports management professors, and reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS version 27, and structural equation modeling was performed with Smart PLS version 3.2.

Results: The results indicated that adoption intention for digital ticketing had a positive and significant effect on economic sustainability (β=0.209, t=2.726). Blockchain capabilities positively and significantly influenced both adoption intention for digital ticketing (β=0.186, t=2.771) and economic sustainability (β=0.574, t=8.369). Complexity positively affected perceived ease of use (β=0.616, t=12.265). Extrinsic motivation and perceived usefulness significantly influenced adoption intention for digital ticketing (β=0.351, t=5.748; β=0.369, t=5.352). However, perceived ease of use had no significant effect on adoption intention (β=0.05, t=0.649, p=0.517). Relative advantage significantly impacted perceived usefulness (β=0.565, t=10.573).

Discussion and Conclusion: The findings highlight that successful implementation of innovative technologies like blockchain in the sports industry requires addressing both technical aspects and user perceptions. Blockchain capabilities and technology acceptance factors are critical drivers of economic sustainability in digital ticketing. Future strategies should focus on enhancing user motivation and simplifying technology use to maximize adoption and sustainability.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Wei X, Zhang J, Lyulyov O, Pimonenko T. The role of digital economy in enhancing the sports industry to attain sustainable development. Sustainability. 2023;15(15):12009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su151512009
  2. Jackson SJ, Dawson MC. The Global Business of Sport in a Brave New World: Conceptualising a Framework for Alternative Futures. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 2021;3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.673178
  3. Marquez A, Cianfrone BA, Kellison T. Factors affecting spectators’ adoption of digital ticketing: the case of interscholastic sports. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship. 2020. DOI:
  4. Reddy TL, Thomson R. Environmental, social and economic sustainability: implications for actuarial science. Actuaries Institute. 2015:23-7. https://www.actuaries.org/app/uploads/2025/07/TLReddyRJThomson_Papers_Sydney2015.pdf
  5. Berkani A-S, Moumen H, Benharzallah S, Yahiaoui S, Bounceur A. Blockchain use cases in the sports industry: a systematic review. International Journal of Networked and Distributed Computing. 2024;12(1):17-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44227-024-00022-3
  6. Taherdoost H. A critical review of blockchain acceptance models—blockchain technology adoption frameworks and applications. Computers. 2022;11(2):24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/computers11020024
  7. Marquez A, Cianfrone BA, Kellison T. Factors affecting spectators’ adoption of digital ticketing: the case of interscholastic sports. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship. 2020;21(3):527-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-07-2019-0080
  8. Clohessy T, Acton T. Investigating the influence of organizational factors on blockchain adoption: An innovation theory perspective. Industrial Management & Data Systems. 2019;119(7):1457-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-08-2018-0365
  9. Huang H, Lin J, Zheng B, Zheng Z, Bian J. When blockchain meets distributed file systems: An overview, challenges, and open issues. IEEE Access. 2020;8:50574-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2979881
  10. Davis FD. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS quarterly. 1989:319-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
  11. Moore GC, Benbasat I. Development of an instrument to measure the perceptions of adopting an information technology innovation. Information systems research. 1991;2(3):192-222. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2.3.192
  12. Benar N, Milasi SF, Nazarian A. The Behavioral Intention of Coaches in Virtual Reality: The Roles of Perceived Usefulness, Enjoyment, Performance Expectancy, Self-Efficacy, and Ease of Use. Journal of New Studies in Sport Management. 2024;5(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.22103/jnssm.2024.22372.1229
  13. Pournader M, Shi Y, Seuring S, Koh SL. Blockchain applications in supply chains, transport and logistics: a systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Production Research. 2020;58(7):2063-81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2019.1650976
  14. Saberi S, Kouhizadeh M, Sarkis J, Shen L. Blockchain technology and its relationships to sustainable supply chain management. International Journal of Production Research. 2019;57(7):2117-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2018.1533261
  15. Nugraha A, Daniel DR, Utama AAGS. Improving multi-sport event ticketing accounting information system design through implementing RFID and blockchain technologies within COVID-19 health protocols. Heliyon. 2021;7(10):e08167. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08167
  16. Milasi SF, Benar N, Nazarian A, Shahzad M. Unlocking the potential: A comprehensive meta-synthesis of Internet of Things in the sports industry. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 2026;240(1):238-253. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17543371241229521
  17. Feulner S, Sedlmeir J, Schlatt V, Urbach N. Exploring the use of self-sovereign identity for event ticketing systems. Electronic Markets. 2022;32(3):1759-77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-022-00573-9
  18. Popp N, Simmons JM, Smith DK, Tasker R. Understanding sport event ticket-type preference in a forced e-ticket environment. Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal. 2021;11(3):287-301. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-08-2020-0079
  19. Alzubaidi AH, Kumar DK. Implications and Innovations of Blockchain Technology in Sports Management. Advances in Sports Science and Technology: CRC Press; 2025. p. 132-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003616283-27
  20. Principe V, Ribeiro T, do Espírito Santo WR, de Souza Vale RG, de Alkmim Moreira Nunes R. Decentralizing Sport Management: A Conceptual Model for Utilizing Decentralized Autonomous Organizations in Sports Clubs. Journal of Global Sport Management. 2025:1-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/24704067.2025.2478563
  21. Megala G, Venkatesan R. Empowering Secure and Transparent Ticket Sales Using Smart Contracts on the Ethereum Blockchain. Applying Internet of Things and Blockchain in Smart Cities: Industry and Healthcare Perspectives: IGI Global; 2024. p. 131-48. DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3693-8568-5.ch006
  22. Vidal-Tomás D. Blockchain, sport and fan tokens. Journal of Economic Studies. 2023;51(1):24-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JES-02-2023-0094
  23. Ante L, Saggu A, Schellinger B, Wazinski F-P. Voting participation and engagement in blockchain-based fan tokens. Electronic Markets. 2024;34(1):26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-024-00709-z
  24. Manoli AE, Dixon K, Antonopoulos GA. Football Fan Tokens as a mode of “serious leisure”: unveiling the dual essence of identity and investment. Leisure Studies. 2025;44(2):294-308. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2024.2301949
  25. Jin X, Wei S, Zhang C. Research on the reform prospect of blockchain applied to sports industry. Frontiers in Sport Research. 2021;3(3):26-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25236/FSR.2021.030305
  26. Lv C, Wang Y, Jin C. The possibility of sports industry business model innovation based on blockchain technology: Evaluation of the innovation efficiency of listed sports companies. Plos one. 2022;17(1):e0262035. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262035
  27. Asiabar MG, Asiabar MG, Asiabar AG. The Role of Emerging Technologies in Sports Law: Legal Challenges and Opportunities. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5795934/v1
  28. Venkatesh V, Morris MG, Davis GB, Davis FD. User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS quarterly. 2003:425-78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540
  29. Kamble SS, Gunasekaran A, Gawankar SA. Achieving sustainable performance in a data-driven agriculture supply chain: A review for research and applications. International Journal of Production Economics. 2020;219:179-94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.05.022
  30. Hair JF, Ringle CM, Sarstedt M. PLS-SEM: Indeed a silver bullet. Journal of Marketing theory and Practice. 2011;19(2):139-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679190202
  31. Hair Jr JF, Sarstedt M, Hopkins L, Kuppelwieser VG. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): An emerging tool in business research. European business review. 2014;26(2):106-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-10-2013-0128
  32. Kline RB. The mediation myth. Basic and Applied Social Psychology. 2015;37(4):202-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2015.1049349
  33. Thompson RL, Higgins CA, Howell JM. Personal computing: Toward a conceptual model of utilization. MIS quarterly. 1991:125-43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/249443
  34. Davis FD, Bagozzi RP, Warshaw PR. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to use computers in the workplace 1. Journal of applied social psychology. 1992;22(14):1111-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1992.tb00945.x
  35. Clohessy T, Acton T, Rogers N. Blockchain adoption: Technological, organisational and environmental considerations. Business Transformation through Blockchain: Volume I. 2019:47-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98911-2_2
  36. Dawes J. Do data characteristics change according to the number of scale points used? An experiment using 5-point, 7-point and 10-point scales. International journal of market research. 2008;50(1):61-104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/147078530805000106
  37. Kreijns K, Weidlich J, Rajagopal K, editors. The psychometric properties of a preliminary social presence measure using Rasch analysis. Lifelong Technology-Enhanced Learning: 13th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2018, Leeds, UK, September 3-5, 2018, Proceedings 13; 2018: Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98572-5_3
  38. Ringle C. Ringle, CM, Wende, S., and Becker, J. M; SmartPLS 3. 2015.
  39. Hair J, Joe F, Sarstedt M, Matthews LM, Ringle CM. Identifying and treating unobserved heterogeneity with FIMIX-PLS: part I–method. European business review. 2016;28(1):63-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-09-2015-0094
  40. Chin WW. The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. Modern methods for business research. 1998;295(2):295-336. DOI: 10.4324/9781410604385-10
  41. Hair Jr JF, Matthews LM, Matthews RL, Sarstedt M. PLS-SEM or CB-SEM: updated guidelines on which method to use. International Journal of Multivariate Data Analysis. 2017;1(2):107-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMDA.2017.087624
  42. Fornell C, Larcker DF. Structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error: Algebra and statistics. Sage Publications Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA; 1981. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800313
  43. Henseler J, Ringle CM, Sarstedt M. A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the academy of marketing science. 2015;43:115-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
  44. Dijkstra TK, Henseler J. Consistent and asymptotically normal PLS estimators for linear structural equations. Computational statistics & data analysis. 2015;81:10-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csda.2014.07.008
  45. Hu Lt, Bentler PM. Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural equation modeling: a multidisciplinary journal. 1999;6(1):1-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
  46. Munir MA, Habib MS, Hussain A, Shahbaz MA, Qamar A, Masood T, et al. Blockchain adoption for sustainable supply chain management: Economic, environmental, and social perspectives. Frontiers in Energy Research. 2022;10:613. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2022.899632
  47. Aldweesh A. BlockTicket: A framework for electronic tickets based on smart contract. Plos one. 2023;18(4):e0284166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284166
  48. Tackmann B, editor Secure event tickets on a blockchain. International Workshop on Data Privacy Management; 2017: Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67816-0_26
  49. Vazquez Melendez EI, Bergey P, Smith B. Blockchain technology for supply chain provenance: increasing supply chain efficiency and consumer trust. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. 2024;29(4):706-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-08-2023-0383
  50. Li X, Niu J, Gao J, Han Y. Secure electronic ticketing system based on consortium blockchain. KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS). 2019;13(10):5219-43. DOI: doi. 10.3837/tiis.2019.10.022
  51. Zhan Y, Yuan F, Shi R, Shi G, Dong C. PriTKT: a blockchain-enhanced privacy-preserving electronic ticket system for IoT devices. Sensors. 2024;24(2):496. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s24020496
  52. Bartin B, Ozbay K, Yang H. Evaluation framework for mobile ticketing applications in public transit: a case study. IET Intelligent Transport Systems. 2018;12(9):1166-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1049/iet-its.2018.5248
  53. Oliveira T, Barbeitos I, Calado A. The role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in sharing economy post-adoption. Information Technology & People. 2022;35(1):165-203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-01-2020-0007
  54. Sriram S, Saraf P, VIJAYARAJ N, MURUGAN T. Innovative Event Management: Strengthening DigitalIdentity and Access Control with Sui Blockchain. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5114888/v1
  55. Selvaratnam V. Understanding Consumers’ Intentions to Purchase Technological Innovations in the Context of Sport. 2024. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/20704
  56. Ali V, Norman AA, Azzuhri SRB. An Empirical Examination of Formation of Trust in Blockchain. Ieee Access. 2023;11:109319-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3321838
  57. Shang P, Liu Y, Sorguc E, Han Y, editors. Check for updates BIFData: A Secure Data Trading Marketplace Platform Based on Blockchain Technology and Smart. Service Science: CCF 16th International Conference, ICSS 2023, Harbin, China, May 13–14, 2023, Revised Selected Papers; 2023: Springer Nature. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4402-6_10

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 24 April 2025
  • Revise Date: 22 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 03 November 2025

Share

How to cite

Statistics