University of Mohaghegh Ardabili Research in Sport Management and Marketing 2783-2392 7 3 2026 06 01 The Effect of Storytelling Marketing and Marketing Intelligence on the Performance of Sports Startups 57 68 4414 10.22098/rsmm.2026.15306.1371 EN Mahboub Sheikhalizadeh Assistant Professor of Sport Management, Ah.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahar, Iran Nasrin Abadi M.A Studen of Sport Management, Ah.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahar, Iran Journal Article 2024 06 21 <strong>Purpose: </strong>Given the relatively poor performance of sports startups in Iran and the importance of storytelling marketing and marketing intelligence in the performance of various businesses, this research aimed to investigate the effect of storytelling marketing and marketing intelligence on the performance of sports startups.<br /><strong>Methods: </strong>This research is applied in terms of data collection and is a structural equation modeling (SEM) study in terms of research method. The statistical population of this study included all employees, experts, and activists in the field of sports startups. 209 employees, experts, and activists in the field of sports startups filled out the storytelling marketing questionnaire of Saadat and Kheiri (2018), the marketing intelligence questionnaire of Ventner and Rensberg (2014), and the sports startup performance questionnaire of Hersey and colleagues (2008). The Smart PLS and SPSS version 26 software were used to analyze the data.<br /><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed that the proposed model had a good fit (GOF = 0.653). The results of the path analysis showed that storytelling marketing and marketing intelligence have a positive and significant effect on the performance of sports startups.<br /><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Storytelling marketing plays a crucial role in shaping the performance and growth of sports startups. By leveraging compelling narratives, these startups can establish emotional connections with their audiences, ultimately driving engagement and brand loyalty. This approach allows sports startups to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, providing a unique value proposition that resonates with consumers' passions and interests in sports. https://rsmm.uma.ac.ir/article_4414_49f440213ecf335560d8cc1def2be720.pdf