프로스포츠 구단의 ESG 경영과 브랜드 태도 및 프리미엄 지불의사

In response to the multifaceted crises caused by climate change and global economic downturn, corporate management paradigms have undergone radical transformation. To avoid these risks, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management has gained prominence, and professional sports clubs adopt ESG management as their core strategy. This study aimed to examine the impact of professional sports clubs’ ESG management activities on brand attitude and to investigate how brand attitude influences consumers’ willingness to pay for premium. An online survey was administered to 476 men and women aged 20 years or older who had attended a professional sports game within the past year. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the research hypotheses. The results indicate that all three components of ESG management (environmental, social, and governance) significantly and positively affected brand attitude, with governance exerting the most substantial influence. Moreover, brand attitude exhibited a significant positive effect on willingness to pay for premium. These findings underscore that transparent operations and fair governance play pivotal roles in fostering fans’ trust and positive sentiments toward professional sports clubs. Fans who develop a favorable brand attitude are inclined to pay above a certain price threshold. Based on these findings, it is recommended that professional sports clubs further reinforce governance-related activities in their ESG management, while expanding environmental and social initiatives, to strengthen brand attitudes and enhance consumers’ willingness to pay for premium.