The formation mechanism of "sports fandom circle" in the digital media era: An analysis from the perspective of fan emotional dynamic development.

ABSTRACT: The rise of the "sports fandom circle" has become a significant phenomenon in the digital media era, reshaping the emotional and social dynamics of sports fan communities. This study employs grounded theory methodology to analyze web-scraped data from 40 selected accounts on major Chinese social media platforms [Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and Bilibili] over a two-year period. These accounts were identified based on their focus on celebrity athletes [e.g., Fan Zhendong, Sun Yingsha, Wang Chuqin] and their engagement in fan-specific activities such as support, fan clubs, and voting. The analysis involved open coding, axial coding, and selective coding to construct an emotional interaction model. Our findings reveal that international sports events serve as emotional catalysts, where competition, na

SUBMITTER: Cheng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12407401 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature