Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.51650/ezrvs.20.1-2.7
The Impact of Social Media on the Women’s Interest in Sports in Croatia
Mario Pepur
; University of Split, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, Split, Croatia
*
Goran Dedić
; University of Split, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, Split, Croatia
Antonia Kalinić
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
This study aims to determine which motives for social media use contribute most to the development of women’s interest in sports. Media coverage of women’s sports has recorded significant growth, yet traditional media still present stereotypes that emphasize the physical appearance of female athletes instead of their achievements. Social media enable direct communication between female athletes, clubs, and audiences, allowing control of the narrative and bridging the shortcomings of traditional media. The research model, based on the uses and gratifications theory, explores how female users select media content, examining selected determinants and their impact on the development of interest in sports. In addition to the dimensions of Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), the degree of identification with a team or female athlete (fanship), preference for digital platforms due to the availability of different content compared to traditional media, perceived costs of social media use, the educational aspect of using content on social media, and platform accessibility were included in this study. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a convenience sample of 194 adult female respondents. Data were collected through a structured online questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and ANOVA tests. Results show that informational, entertainment, and educational motives, as well as access to social media and sports content, statistically significantly predict an increase in interest, while socialization, personal aspects, and fanship motives have no significant impact. The regression model explains 45.7% of the variance in the dependent variable, with confirmed stability and absence of multicollinearity, while analysis of demographic characteristics showed no significant differences in the level of interest. It is concluded that the development of women’s interest in sports primarily stems from the functional advantages of social media, particularly their informativeness and accessibility, which points to the importance of targeted design of digital communication strategies aimed at female audiences.
Keywords
women; social media; sports; uses and gratifications theory.
Hrčak ID:
349794
URI
Publication date:
27.7.2026.
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