Temple University cherry "T" logo

Temple University

Search Keywords

Daniel Funk

Profile Picture of Daniel Funk

Daniel Funk

  • School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

    • Sport and Recreation Management

      • Professor

    • Office of the Dean

      • Professor

Biography

Dr. Daniel Funk is a Professor and Ed Rosen Senior Fellow in the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University. Dr. Funk’s research focuses on consumer experiences in order to help organizations understand customer acquisition, retention and expenditure. Informed by both consumer psychology and experience design perspectives, this work involves investigating consumer buying and using behavior to improve satisfaction, optimize management tactics and address changing consumer demand. Much of this work has direct relevance to industry, and accordingly has been funded, in full or part, by industry partners generating over $2.5M US to support research activities. He has authored over 140 peer-reviewed publications in a variety of top academic journals, published three textbooks and contributed numerous book chapters to edited books.

Dr. Funk has been recognized as a Research Fellow by the Sport Marketing Association, North American Society for Sport Management, and the National Academy of Kinesiology for contributions to scholarship and leadership. Dr. Funk has served Editor for Sport Marketing Quarterly and Associate Editor for the Journal of Sport Management. He has been active in working with and developing PhD students and currently serves as faculty adviser for the Temple Esports Club.

Dr. Funk earned his PhD and Master’s degree in Sport Management from The Ohio State University and his Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Kansas. Previously, Funk was a Professor of Sport Management at Griffith University in Australia, and served on the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin and University of Louisville. Prior to becoming a faculty member, he worked in university recreational sports administration managing sport leagues, club sports, and special events.

Research Interests

  • Consumer Behavior, Sport and Related Industries

Courses Taught

Number

Name

Level

SRM 5285

Graduate Internship in Sport and Recreation

Graduate

Selected Publications

Recent

  • Gupta, K., Su, Y., Kunkel, T., & Funk, D.C. (2025). Paying while playing: examining the influence of interaction with gamified elements in fantasy sports on in-app spending. European Sport Management Quarterly, 25(2), 175-196. Informa UK Limited. doi: 10.1080/16184742.2024.2301970.

  • Su, Y., Zhou, X., Funk, D., & Daniels, J. (2025). Cross-Cultural Comparison of Satellite Fanship: A Consumer Culture Theory Perspective. Journal of Sport Management, 39(1), 28-40. Human Kinetics. doi: 10.1123/jsm.2022-0362.

  • Kunkel, T. & Funk, D. (2024). Guest editorial: The sport x service experience: an opportunity for sport service management research. Journal of Service Management, 35(1), 46-52. Emerald. doi: 10.1108/josm-01-2024-496.

  • McDonald, H., Pallant, J., Funk, D.C., & Kunkel, T. (2024). Who doesn’t like sport? A taxonomy of non-fans. Sport Management Review, 27(1), 67-89. Informa UK Limited. doi: 10.1080/14413523.2023.2233342.

  • Kennedy, H., Bredikhina, N., Athanas-Linden, G., Kunkel, T., & Funk, D.C. (2023). Managing Social Media Through Crisis: A Content Analysis of Instagram Posts Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 32(4), 284-301. SAGE Publications. doi: 10.32731/smq.324.122023.02.

  • Abdolmaleki, H., Mohammadi, S., Babaei, M., Soheili, B., Dickson, G., & Funk, D. (2023). Co-branding drivers between professional sport organizations and on-field sports apparel sponsors. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 24(5), 985-1001. Emerald. doi: 10.1108/ijsms-03-2023-0048.

  • Kennedy, H. & Funk, D.C. (2023). Habitually Scrolling: An Examination Into How Sport Consumers Use Social Media. International Journal of Sport Communication, 16(2), 187-201. Human Kinetics. doi: 10.1123/ijsc.2023-0001.

  • Pizzo, A.D. & Funk, D.C. (2022). Convergence of Sport and Esports. In The Routledge Handbook of Digital Sport Management (pp. 293-307). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003088899-26.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). A psychological model of sport consumption and decisions. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 113-130). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-8.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Constraints in sport engagement. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 178-203). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-12.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Sport consumer motivation. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 133-156). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-10.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Sport consumer decision-making. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 93-112). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-7.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Perceptions of service quality and customer satisfaction. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 246-270). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-15.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Personality and sport consumers. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 271-290). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-16.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Influence of the social-cultural environment. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 293-310). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-18.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Sport consumer involvement. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 157-177). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-11.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Sport consumer research and segmentation. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 49-71). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-4.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). The sport product and empirical generalizations. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 19-48). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-3.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Sport team identification. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 229-245). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-14.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Introduction to sport consumer behaviour. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 3-18). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-2.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Sport consumer attitudes. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 204-228). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-13.

  • Funk, D.C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2022). Sport consumer brand management. In Sport Consumer Behaviour (pp. 72-90). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003092537-5.

  • Gupta, K., Su, Y., Kunkel, T., & Funk, D. (2022). The super engagers of freemium gamified services: using multimethod approach to examine why highly interactive consumers become paying consumers. INTERNET RESEARCH. 10.1108/INTR-07-2021-0434

  • Pizzo, A., Kunkel, T., Jones, G., Baker, B., & Funk, D. (2022). The strategic advantage of mature-stage firms: Digitalization and the diversification of professional sport into esports. Journal of Business Research, 139, 257-266. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.09.057.

  • Kennedy, H., Kunkel, T., & Funk, D.C. (2021). Using Predictive Analytics to Measure Eff ectiveness of Social Media Engagement: A Digital Measurement Perspective. SPORT MARKETING QUARTERLY, 30(4), 265-277. 10.32731/SMQ.304.1221.02

  • Kennedy, H., Kunkel, T., & Funk, D.C. (2021). Using Predictive Analytics to Measure Eff ectiveness of Social Media Engagement: A Digital Measurement Perspective. SPORT MARKETING QUARTERLY, 30(4), 265-277. 10.32731/SMQ.304.1221.02

  • Lee, W., Jones, G.J., Hyun, M., Funk, D., Taylor, E., & Peachey, J.W. (2021). Development and transference of intentional self-regulation through a sport-based youth development program. Sport Management Review, 24(5), 770-790. Elsevier. doi: 10.1080/14413523.2021.1907973.

  • Lopez, C., Pizzo, A., Gupta, K., Kennedy, H., & Funk, D. (2021). Corporate growth strategies in an era of digitalization: A network analysis of the national basketball association's 2K league sponsors. Journal of Business Research, 133, 208-217. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.068.

  • Du, J., Floyd, C., Kim, A., Baker, B., Sato, M., James, J., & Funk, D. (2021). To be or not to be: negotiating leisure constraints with technology and data analytics amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Leisure Studies, 40(4), 561-574. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02614367.2020.1862284. doi: 10.1080/02614367.2020.1862284.

  • Pizzo, A.D., Baker, B.J., Jones, G.J., & Funk, D.C. (2021). Sport Experience Design: Wearable Fitness Technology in the Health and Fitness Industry. JOURNAL of SPORT MANAGEMENT, 35(2), 130-143. HUMAN KINETICS PUBL INC. 10.1123/jsm.2020-0150

  • Zhou, X., Funk, D., Lu, L., & Kunkel, T. (2021). Solving the Athleisure Myth: A Means-End Chain Analysis of Female Activewear Consumption. Journal of Sport Management, 35(1), 81-93. doi: 10.1123/JSM.2019-0358.

  • Pizzo, A., Jones, G., Baker, B., Funk, D., & Kunkel, T. (2021). Sensemaking of Novelty: The Dynamic Nature of Integrating Esports Within A Traditional Sport Organization. Sport Management Review, 1-23. doi: 10.1080/14413523.2021.1935609.

  • Du, J., Kennedy, H., James, J., & Funk, D. (2020). Leveraging event participation benefits beyond the running course: Deciphering the motivational basis of event satisfaction. Journal of Sport Management, 34(5), 435-446. doi: 10.1123/JSM.2019-0080.

  • Baker, B., Du, J., Sato, M., & Funk, D. (2020). Rethinking segmentation within the psychological continuum model using Bayesian analysis. Sport Management Review, 23(4), 764-775. doi: 10.1016/j.smr.2019.09.003.

  • Lee, M., Kunkel, T., Funk, D., Karg, A., & McDonald, H. (2020). Built to last: relationship quality management for season ticket holders. European Sport Management Quarterly, 20(3), 364-384. doi: 10.1080/16184742.2019.1613438.

  • Sato, M., Du, J., Inoue, Y., Funk, D.C., & Weaver, F. (2020). Older Adults' Physical Activity and Healthcare Costs, 2003-2014. Am J Prev Med, 58(5), e141-e148. Netherlands. 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.12.009

  • Lopez, C., Taylor, E.A., Jones, G.J., Huml, M.R., & Funk, D. (2020). Examining Work Experiences Among Collegiate Recreation Employees. Recreational Sports Journal, 44(1), 15-23. doi: 10.1177/1558866120927325.

  • Inoue, Y., Wann, D.L., Lock, D., Sato, M., Moore, C., & Funk, D.C. (2020). Enhancing Older Adults' Sense of Belonging and Subjective Well-Being Through Sport Game Attendance, Team Identification, and Emotional Support. J Aging Health, 32(7-8), 530-542. United States. 10.1177/0898264319835654