The Role of Athlete Signing as a Tool for Market Expansion: A Study on European Football Teams Signing Korean Footballers

Although teams undertake various efforts (e.g., signing athletes who originate from the target market, holding international tours, participating in friendly tournaments during off-season) to expand their market internationally, teams signing target market’s national team level athletes is one of the most approachable and effective methods. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no extant studies have empirically examined the effect of such a method. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine the role of signing a national sports icon as a tool for market expansion for professional sports teams. This study conducted an experimental study by providing stimulus material and conducting a survey. The collected data was analyzed using the paired t-test and one-way ANOVA. Looking at the results, there was a significant difference in team loyalty when participants were exposed to the news that the team signed their national team player. In addition, the moderating effect of football involvement was evident as differences between the low involvement group and the high involvement group were partially statistically significant. Research findings contribute to understanding the effect of signing the target market’s athletes as a team’s global market expansion effort and provide important cues for future research.