An Americanization of sports? Lived experience of a fan experience. The case of NFL and MLB games in London

Une américanisation du spectacle sportif ? Expérience vécue d'une fan expérience. Le cas des matchs NFL et MLB délocalisés à Londres

Boris Helleu ()
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Boris Helleu: NIMEC - Normandie Innovation Marché Entreprise Consommation - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - ULH - Université Le Havre Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - IRIHS - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université

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Abstract: The fan experience, a central concept in sports marketing, refers to the full range of interactions experienced by a spectator before, during, and after a game. Fan satisfaction cannot rely solely on the performance or victory of their favorite team but must also depend on the quality of peripheral services: hospitality, catering, entertainment, comfort, etc. Since the early 2000s, the NFL and MLB have deployed brand globalization strategies by relocating regular-season games to London. The NFL has organized over 40 games at Wembley, Twickenham, and Tottenham, while MLB has staged six matchups at the London Stadium. The objective is twofold: to attract European fans and to provide American expatriates and traveling supporters with an experience as authentic as in the United States. This paper, based on a participant observation methodology, examines the modalities of globalizing the fan experience.

Keywords: globalization; glocalization; Americanization; sportainment; spectacle sportif; américanisation; glocalisation; globalisation; fan expérience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-11-13
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-spo
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Published in 24 ème Journées Normandes de recherche sur la Consommation, Nov 2025, Caen (FR), France

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