Faster! More! Better! Drivers of upgrading among participants in extreme sports events

Merchandising expenditures in extreme sports are a multi-billion dollar market, but contrary to most traditional sports revenue comes mainly from active consumers-athletes rather than from (passive)spectators as in traditional sport. We focus on consumers participating in extreme sports to identify the determinants of their intention to upgrade the relationship with the sports brand. A model is developed that addresses psychological theories of extreme behaviors and voluntary risk-seeking on one side, but also marketing drivers of consumers' upgrading on the other side. The model is tested on 580 active participants in two major extreme sports events. The results show that consumers-athletes upgrading is driven not only by loyalty-related marketing variables, but also, and significantly, by self-enhancement-related factors that are specific to the psychology of extreme individuals. This study contributes to the understanding of the determinants of extreme consumers' intention to upgrade, and provides important implications for future research and managers.