The Impact of Relationship Marketing on the Purchase Behavior of Sport Customers: A Case Study of Stephan’s Spectators

In recent decades, sports organizations have paid special attention to the importance of considering the purchase behavior of customers. Meanwhile, the variables that can have an impact on customers' purchase behavior have been considered. This study aimed to determine the causal relationship between relationship marketing and purchase behavior of spectators using structural equation modeling. For this purpose, two questionnaires including Kim’s relationship marketing and purchase behavior questionnaires (2008) were used. After confirming their validity and reliability, these questionnaires were distributed among the sample. Sample was consisted of 430 spectators who participated in Foolade_Shahr Stadium to watch the Sepahan’ games using Morgan table. The research method was statistical -correlational and it was based on the structural equation model. The results of path analysis showed that relationship marketing has an impact on purchase behavior of spectators (β= 0.043, p≤0.05). Considering the findings of this study, approaches can be provided to determine the strategy of relationship marketing and evaluate the impact of this strategy on purchase behavior of spectators- as the main customers of football clubs.