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Journals / Herkes için Spor ve Rekreasyon Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 8 Issue: 2

Digital Fandom and Platform Capitalism: The Politics of the Interaction Economy in the Olympic Games

Dijital Hayranlık ve Platform Kapitalizmi: Olimpiyat Oyunlarında Etkileşim Ekonomisinin Politikası

Gizem Gündüz Abdioğlu(AKDENİZ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-6130-4249
Mehmet Ali Horozoğlu(Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey Üniversitesi)0000-0002-8676-7274
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The study concludes that the interplay between social media and mega sporting events holds strategic significance for both theoretical discourse and practical implementation in sport management.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study aims to analyze the transformations occurring at the intersection of digital fandom, platform capitalism, and the engagement economy within the context of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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Key Findings & Data:As global media ecosystems undergo digitalization, the Olympics have evolved from mere showcases of athletic performance into multidimensional specta-tor experiences shaped by social media platforms.
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Conclusion & Impact:The study concludes that the interplay between social media and mega sporting events holds strategic significance for both theoretical discourse and practical implementation in sport management.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2024 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Digital Fandom · Olympics games · Platform Capitalism

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the transformations occurring at the intersection of digital fandom, platform capitalism, and the engagement economy within the context of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. As global media ecosystems undergo digitalization, the Olympics have evolved from mere showcases of athletic performance into multidimensional specta-tor experiences shaped by social media platforms. Employing a conceptual review meth-odology, the study examines the influence of social media technologies on the Olympic experience through key sub-themes such as fan engagement, athlete branding, online in-teraction, data monetization, and algorithmic visibility. Within the scope of this conceptu-al review, Paris 2024 is discussed as an important case illustrating how digital engage-ment, athlete branding, and fan experience have evolved toward a multiscreen, real-time, and participatory model.At the same time, issues such as cyberbullying, misinformation, and platform monopolization were identified as critical risks. The research argues that the digital transformation of the sports ecosystem reshapes not only marketing and commu-nication dynamics but also governance, ethics, and socio-cultural aspects of global sports. The study concludes that the interplay between social media and mega sporting events holds strategic significance for both theoretical discourse and practical implementation in sport management.

Özet

Bu çalışma, Paris 2024 Olimpiyat Oyunları bağlamında dijital taraftarlık, platform kapitalizmi ve etkileşim ekonomisi kavramlarının kesişiminde ortaya çıkan dönüşümleri analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Küresel medya ortamının dijitalleşmesiyle birlikte, Olimpiyatlar sadece sportif performansların sergilendiği değil, aynı zamanda dijital platformlarda çok katmanlı bir izleyici deneyiminin üretildiği alanlara dönüşmüştür. Kavramsal derleme yöntemiyle gerçekleştirilen araştırma, mevcut literatür üzerinden sosyal medya teknolojilerinin olimpik spor deneyimine etkisini incelemekte; taraftar bağlılığı, sporcu markalaşması, çevrimiçi etkileşim, veri ekonomisi ve sosyal medya algoritmaları gibi alt başlıklara odaklanmaktadır. Çalışmada elde edilen bulgular, Paris 2024’ün sosyal medya platformlarında rekor düzeyde etkileşim yarattığını, sporcuların kişisel markalarını güçlendirdiğini ve taraftarların deneyimini çok ekranlı, eşzamanlı ve katılımcı bir düzleme taşıdığını göstermektedir. Aynı zamanda, siber zorbalık, yanlış bilgi yayılımı ve platform tekelleşmesi gibi risklerin de altı çizilmiştir. Araştırma, dijitalleşen spor ekosisteminin yalnızca pazarlama ve iletişim süreçlerini değil, aynı zamanda sporun yönetişimsel, etik ve toplumsal boyutlarını da yeniden şekillendirdiğini ileri sürmektedir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, sosyal medya-sportif mega etkinlik etkileşiminin hem akademik teori hem de uygulama alanları açısından stratejik önem taşıdığını göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Abdioğlu, G. G., Horozoğlu, M. A. (2026). Digital Fandom and Platform Capitalism: The Politics of the Interaction Economy in the Olympic Games. Herkes için Spor ve Rekreasyon Dergisi, Volume: 8 Issue: 2. https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.1895980

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