Predicting Consumer Commitment: A Case Study of the NFL and Ray Rice

This case explores the potential implications of the National Football League’s (NFL) domestic violence problem. The purpose of this case study is to introduce students to logistic regression analysis. The case uses this method to address if the NFL’s Ray Rice domestic violence scandal will impact consumer behavior and loyalty toward the league. Given the significant role loyalty and retention has on profitability, the case investigates whether the Rice incident influenced fan decision-making, paying close attention to female consumers. The framework of analysis considers fan perceptions of the Ray Rice domestic violence scandal and the league’s response as potential deterrents of NFL game attendance and consumption of league media. Students will consider a variety of predictors, such as gender, age, and fan perception of the league’s domestic violence problem, in an attempt to yield insight into the possible influence of the Rice events on the commitment level of NFL fans. This case study is intended for use in research methods and assumes knowledge of regression analysis. However, in the event an instructor does not wish to run a logistic regression analysis, descriptive statistics could be used to detect patterns of responses that illustrate variance in fans’ perceptions of how consumer behavior may be affected by domestic violence issues.