Transcending the Binary Opposition Between Virtuality and Reality: A Netnographic Study of Online Sports Phenomena and Methodological Reflections

Whether netnographic research should extend from online to offline contexts remains a contentious issue in academia. The approach confined solely to the “online world” has often been employed to study online sports phenomena. However, a netnographic investigation into “online sports fan conflicts” reveals limitations in this perspective. This is because online sports phenomena not only interact with offline behaviors, creating a virtual-real integration, but also exhibit certain tensions with offline actions, highlighting a virtual distinctiveness. Consequently, to address methodological disputes and facilitate deeper research into online sports phenomena, it is proposed that researchers abandon the constraints of the online-offline binary prism, adopt a netnographic approach that organically integrates both domains, and engage in collaborative team-based netnographic studies. Furthermore, moving beyond methodological debates about netnography is essential to embrace a “rhizomatic mindset” and explore the application of multi-sited ethnography or trace ethnography.