The analysis of sponsors participation in the sports events based on sponsorship motivation matrix (case study, football Primer ligue of Iran)

Sports sponsorship is one of the important methods of investment in sports. It is also one of the main axes of sports marketing, under which the events are organized and supported. This study aimed to investigate and analyze the participation of sponsors in football events based on the model of financial support motivation matrix. This is a qualitative study based on Glaser's grounded theory. Therefore, semi-structured interviews and purposeful snowball sampling were used to collect data. In total, 15 university professors, experts in the sports sponsorship, and organizations sponsoring sports event (football) were interviewed. The theoretical pattern of this study was obtained from the responses to the 9-question interview and after completing open, selective, and theoretical coding stages. The study defined four external, internal, opportunistic, and humanitarian dimensions of motivational components, and data were inserted in a two-dimensional matrix based on an analytical process. Data analysis indicated that factors being studied and the motivations questioned in the interviews had two or more priorities, so that motivations related to external and opportunistic dimensions were mentioned as the first priority, and internal and humanitarian motivations were considered as the second priority. Thus, the sports managers and political-economic leaders of Iran are recommended to pay special attention to the development and targeting of financial support in order to strengthen the relationship between sponsors and sports.