David against Goliath: Diagnosis and Strategies for a Niche Sport to Develop a Sustainable Fan Community

Guillermo Sanahuja-Peris, Víctor Agulló-Calatayud and Rocío Blay-Arráez
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Guillermo Sanahuja-Peris: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Communication Sciences Department, Universitat Jaume I, Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, 12006 Castellón, Spain
Víctor Agulló-Calatayud: Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences Campus dels Tarongers, University of Valencia, Av. Tarongers nº4b, 46021 València, Spain
Rocío Blay-Arráez: Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Communication Sciences Department, Universitat Jaume I, Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, 12006 Castellón, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-18

Abstract: Pilota, played using the hands, is a niche sport with origins dating back to Greco-Roman times. In the Valencian region of Spain, an indigenous version of the sport is played with healthy participation rates despite having to compete with the major global sports. This study is aimed at understanding the current situation of this sport in terms of knowledge, transmission channels, fan experience and media consumption, as well as the brand strategy challenges it faces for building a stable and sustainable fan community. The methodology consists of a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques. Nearly 1500questionnaires completed across three study universes, four focus groups and 33 in-depth interviews with stakeholder representatives have served to check the data obtained and discuss the challenges facing the sport in a process of dialogue. The main finding lies in the management proposals that can be applied to most of the world’s surviving traditional sports. On a theoretical level, the study presents an analysis of niche sports in Europe from the point of view of branding and sustainability.

Keywords: traditional sport; niche sport; branding; sustainability; Valencian pilota (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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