Mega Sport Events as Platforms for Social Change: Extending the Application of Social Exchange Theory

Mega sport events draw global attention and often stimulate discourse on social problems. However, research has predominantly focused on event support formation, overlooking how event support influences individuals’ attitudes toward social issues. Thus, we investigate how individuals’ mega sport event perceptions change their attitudes toward social issues tied to the event. Surveying 848 individuals pre–post the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, we use latent difference score modeling to examine the within-person changes in individuals’ event perceptions, event support, and attitudes toward social issues. Findings support extant research that individuals’ event support is formed through an exchange of their perceived event benefits and risks. Additionally, it advances new knowledge by revealing that event support then influences individuals’ attitudes toward women’s sport. Our study extends the application of social exchange theory to understand event-related phenomena and provides new insight into how mega sport events can serve as platforms for social change.