Designing a Model of the Barriers to the Implementation of Digital Marketing in the Development of Entrepreneurship in the Iraqi Football Industry

Anwar  Sabah Mutashar; Fariba Askarian; Amin  Dehghan Ghahfarokhi

Authors

Anwar Sabah Mutashar Ph.D. Student, Department of Sport Management, Alborz Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3724-5892
Fariba Askarian Professor, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Corresponding author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3101-0557
Amin Dehghan Ghahfarokhi Associate Professor, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8696-0894

Keywords:

Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Football Industry, Iraqi Football, Digital Transformation

Abstract

This study aimed to identify, classify, and develop a comprehensive model of the barriers to digital marketing implementation in entrepreneurship development within the Iraqi football industry. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 experts and analyzed using thematic analysis. Based on the qualitative findings, a validated questionnaire was administered to 387 managers, marketing specialists, digital media practitioners, and sport management experts. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to validate the proposed model. The qualitative phase identified seven major categories of barriers, including infrastructural, technology and data; managerial and organizational; institutional, political and economic; cultural and social; commercial, content and fan engagement; human capital and knowledge ecosystem; and digital trust and cybersecurity barriers. The quantitative results demonstrated that all identified dimensions had significant negative effects on entrepreneurship development in the Iraqi football industry. Commercial, content and fan engagement barriers (β = −0.41), infrastructural, technology and data barriers (β = −0.36), and managerial and organizational barriers (β = −0.31) showed the strongest negative impacts. Furthermore, model fit indices confirmed the satisfactory fit of the proposed structural model. The study contributes to the literature by developing and empirically validating one of the first context-specific models explaining the barriers to digital marketing implementation in entrepreneurship development within the Iraqi football industry. The findings highlight the need for integrated investments in digital infrastructure, managerial capabilities, human capital, and regulatory support to accelerate digital transformation and entrepreneurship development in Iraqi football.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ahmed, R., & Jebar, A. j. (2021). Electronic marketing reality in elite players in Iraq. Journal of Physical Education (20736452), 33(2).

Al-Khateeb, Z. S. (2025). Innovative Marketing Strategies and Their Impact on Fan Engagement and Financial Performance: A Case Study of the Jordanian National Football Team (Al Nashama) Princess Sumaya University for Technology (Jordan)].

Al Barwari, P., Ali, K. A. A., Mousa, K. M., & Ahmed, D. H. (2025). Innovative marketing and sustainable success in SMEs with evidence from Northern Iraq. Discover Sustainability, 6(1), 610.

Azadi, R., Askarian, F., Abdavi, F., & Ghasemi, H. (2025). Identifying Barriers to the Use of Social Media in the Development of Sports Businesses. Sports Business Journal, 5(3), 57-77.

Baaiwi, A. K., Ahmed, H. A., Abdulaali, Z. S., & Bekheet, H. N. (2024). The reality of e-commerce and digital marketing in the Iraqi market: Opportunities and challenges. Al-Ghary Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, 20(00), 289-305.

Bakhshi, J. O., & Nasrollahi, Z. (2022). The Relationship between Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development: A Provincial Study.

Barve, Y. D. (2023). Assessing the impacts of digital marketing and sponsorship on the football industry as a business and their implications on fan engagement Dublin, National College of Ireland].

Buck, C., & Ifland, S. (2023). Toward an enduring football economy: a business model taxonomy for Europe's professional football clubs. European sport management quarterly, 23(5), 1409-1429.

Gasparetto, T., & Safronov, A. (2023). Streaming demand for eSports: Analysis of Counter-strike: Global offensive. Convergence, 29(5), 1369-1388.

Hammerschmidt, J., González-Serrano, M. H., Puumalainen, K., & Calabuig, F. (2024). Sport entrepreneurship: the role of innovation and creativity in sport management. Review of Managerial Science, 18(11), 3173-3202.

Javani, V., Jawad, A. A., & Badriazarin, Y. (2024). The Paradigm Model of Digital Marketing in Iraqi Handball: A Grounded Theory Study. Journal of New Studies in Sport Management, 5(3), 1172-1186.

Jo, H., & Shin, S.-A. (2024). Investigating viewer engagement in esports through motivation and attitudes toward metaverse and NFTs. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 19934.

Jovanović, S., Đoković, G., & Vuković, A. (2025). The metaverse and the future sports marketing: New frontiers for digital entrepreneurs. Sporticopedia SMB2025, 3(1), 159-172.

Khader, A. Z. M., & Jassim, G. M. (2025). Administrative diversification factors in improving the quality of sports marketing in the Iraqi professional football league. Damu Journal of Sport Sciences, 2(2), 17-27.

Kim, H., & Park, M. (2023). Virtual influencers’ attractiveness effect on purchase intention: A moderated mediation model of the Product–Endorser fit with the brand. Computers in human behavior, 143, 107703.

Kotler, P., Keller, K., Brady, M., Goodman, M., & Hansen, T. (2016). Marketing Management, ; PDF eBook. Harlow, England: Pearson Higher Education Ltd.

Lewis, M. A. (2019). Operations management: A research overview. Routledge.

Mannai, A. A. (2025). Investigating cultural dimensions and technological acceptance: The adoption of electronic performance and tracking systems in Qatar's football sector. arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.16557.

Manoli, A. E., & Kenyon, J. A. (2018). Football and marketing. In Routledge handbook of football business and management (pp. 88-100). Routledge.

Mastromartino, B., & Zhang, J. J. (2023). Digital marketing in sports: global perspectives. Taylor & Francis.

Millington, R., Giles, A. R., Van Luijk, N., & Hayhurst, L. M. (2022). Sport for sustainability? The extractives industry, sport, and sustainable development. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 46(3), 293-317.

Mohammadi, M., Benar, N., Dastoom, S., & Fatahimilasi, S. (2025). Implementation of Digital Marketing System Analysis in the Professional clubs (the Study of the Country’s Premier Handball League). Sport Management Studies, 17(91), 107-132.

Mohsin, A. F. (2026). The Role of Digital Marketing in Achieving Strategic Superiority: An Exploratory Study on Iraqi Commercial Bank Employees. Journal of Fintech, Business, and Development, 3(3), 26-42.

Moradi, J., & Fahem, H. (2024). Challenges of strategic management in football clubs from economic and social perspectives. Journal of Applied Research in Sports and Health Sciences, 7(3), 15.

Obaid, A. I. (2022). The role of social and digital media on sport marketing in Iraq and its effect on football. Journal of Asian Multicultural Research for Social Sciences Study, 3(3), 58-63.

Obaid, L. A. (2026). An Analytical Study of the Reality of Behavioral Opportunism during the Professional Sports Season among Athletes at the Sports Talent Care Center for Track and Field. Indonesian Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 6(1), 22-35.

Rangaswamy, A., Moch, N., Felten, C., Van Bruggen, G., Wieringa, J. E., & Wirtz, J. (2020). The role of marketing in digital business platforms. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 51(1), 72-90.

Read, D., & Smith, A. C. (2023). Data as capital and ethical implications in digital sport business models. Convergence, 29(5), 1389-1408.

Subhi, D., Seifri, M. K., Tabesh, S., & Afshari, M. (2026). Enhancing Professional Women's Sports Marketing in Iraq: A Phenomenological Approach. مجلة دراسات وبحوث التربية الرياضية.