Relationship between Chinese viewers’ attitude toward fansub videos and attitude against sponsorship

Abstract

In this study, we investigated Chinese viewers’ attitudes toward fan-subtitled (fansub) online courses, sponsorship, and the sponsors of online courses. In addition, the relationships among these three attitude variables were examined. A cross-sectional research design based on a quantitative methodology was employed in the study. An online questionnaire was sent on the forum page of a selected fansub group’s website, and a sample size of 216 participants was obtained. The main analytical tools were one-sample t-tests and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results from the participants showed that the three attitude variables were consistently positive and correlated with each other, implying that audiences generally like fansub videos and that sponsoring online fansub courses can be effective in generating a positive brand impression. Sponsorship executives should communicate the goodwill provided by the sponsor rather than just simply commercializing the activity. From a broader perspective, these findings provide additional arguments in favor of online courses as desirable tools for knowledge transfer.