The globalization of sport brands has attracted fans from all over the world. However, there is a paucity of studies regarding how sport brands are viewed in a foreign market. Hence, the purpose of this study is to understand the brand equity of the American National Football League (NFL) among Chinese fans and examine the variations in these perceptions and attitudes affected by demographic variables such as age, gender, monthly income and educational background. A quantitative research was conducted to collect data from residents of Shanghai, China on their perceptions of NFL’s brand equity using convenience sampling method. Factor analysis resulted in a 10-item scale showing acceptable validity of the hypothesized brand equity dimensions. In addition, the results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) reveal that demographic variables such as age, educational background and monthly income have significant influence on brand equity. Gender only has significant influence on the brand association dimension. Meanwhile, this paper offers a few suggestions for improving the brand equity of NFL in China and directions for future research.
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