Blockchain in Football Fandom: Understanding the Shifts in Awareness, Adoption, and Investment Willingness in Fan Tokens and NFTs among Croatian Fans

Football is the most important of the less important things in the world. Tosustain their passion for their beloved club, fans should experience a sense of unity and belonging. With the emergence of digital-savvy generations, clubs ought to adopt innovative digital marketing technologies to enhance connections with their fans. Blockchain technology, via fan tokens and NFTs, empowers football clubs to establish loyalty programs, craft authentic memorabilia, and involve fans in decision-making. This introduces entirely new fan experiences, while also generating new revenue streams. Although football has a significant standing in Croatia, the awareness and adoption of blockchain technology are in an early stage of development. This study aims to investigate the levels of awareness, adoption, and investment willingness in fan tokens and NFTs, before and after the FIFA World Cup Qatar among football fans in Croatia. Data were obtained from 75 respondents in the first wave and 50 respondents in the second wave through online surveys. The Chi-Squared test was used for analysis. The findings suggest an increase in awareness of blockchain technology and fan tokens, while there was no notable difference in awareness regarding NFTs. The low level of adoption remained consistent, as did the willingness towards investing.