Overlooking the obvious: an exploration of what it means to be a sport fan from a female perspective

While sport fans are demographically diverse, in current literature, sport fans appear to be a homogenous group consisting primarily of white, adult men. Thus, the current understanding of sport fan characteristics is based primarily on the perspectives of one segment of the fan market. The purpose of this study is to explore how female sport fans perceive and prioritise fan characteristics. In this pilot project, we interviewed nine women who self-identified as fans of the same Canadian Football League team. Data analysis consisted of organising, reading, rereading, coding, categorising and theming. According to the participants, a fan is one who legitimately enjoys the sport and the team, wears team colours and demonstrates positive support for the team. Knowledge and attendance were seen as secondary fan characteristics. The results suggest different perspectives on fanship from a female viewpoint.