The Illusion of Interaction: How Emotional Connection, Not Functional Engagement, Drives Viewer Loyalty in Social Sports Broadcasting

Sports broadcasters invest heavily in interactive features on social media, assuming that functional engagement (likes, shares, comments) builds viewer loyalty. This study challenges that assumption. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) on survey data from 450 active sports viewers, we test a model that separates the effects of functional, emotional, and communal engagement on loyalty, mediated by social presence and channel commitment. Results reveal that functional engagement significantly enhances social presence but fails to translate into loyalty, as higher perceived social presence is associated with lower channel commitment. Instead, viewer loyalty is strongly and significantly driven by channel commitment, which itself is primarily fostered by emotional connection and, to a lesser extent, communal engagement. Theoretically, this study demonstrates the primacy of affective bonds over transactional interactions in the contemporary sports media economy and provides empirical evidence that questions the utility of Social Presence Theory as a direct predictor of loyalty in this context. The findings suggest a critical re-evaluation of how audience engagement is conceptualized and measured by both scholars and practitioners.