Education
Ph.D., Human Kinetics/Sport Management, University of Ottawa, 2016
M.A., Sport and Recreation Studies, University of New Brunswick, 2012
HND, Sport and Leisure Management, Leeds Beckett University, 2006
Areas of Expertise
Marketing Communication
Dr. Abeza is an Associate Professor at Towson University (TU). Before joining TU,
Dr. Abeza taught graduate and undergraduate students at Southern Methodist University
(Dallas, TX) and the University of Ottawa (Ottawa, ON). He was a visiting research
fellow at the University of New South Wales (Australia) and Addis Ababa University
(Ethiopia). Prior to returning to academia, Dr. Abeza had a successful career in sport management and marketing at a global level, and
currently provides consultancy services to a range of sport organizations around the
world. His research interest is in marketing communication, with specific areas of
expertise in digital media related to sponsorship, ambush marketing, branding, and
relationship marketing. He has researched and written extensively on the topic publishing over 70 journal
articles and book chapters in outlets such as Journal of Sport Management, Journal
of Strategic Marketing, Communication & Sport, International Journal of Sport Communication
(IJSC), amongst others. He has published 7 books, including "Implications and Impacts
of eSports on Business and Society" (IGI Global, 2019), "Sport Sponsorship" (Routledge,
2021), "Canadian Sport Marketing" (Human Kinetics, 2022), and "Sport and Social Media
in Business and Society" (Routledge, 2024), which he co-authored. He is also the sole
author of "Professional Football in Ethiopia (EPL): Multidimensional Normative Assessment
and Developmental Roadmap" (Pana Printing, 2023). In addition to his authored works,
he has co-edited two books: "Social Media in Sport: Theory and Practice" (World Scientific,
2021) and "Social Media in Sport: Evidence-Based Perspectives" (Routledge, 2024).
Abeza serves as an ad hoc reviewer for a number of academic journals and was a special issue guest editor for IJSC (for 3 different issues – 2018, 2023, & 2024) on the topic of Social Media in Sport. Currently, he serves on the editorial boards of eight different academic journals:
International Journal of Sport Communication; Sport, Business, and Management; Journal
of Relationship Marketing; International Journal of eSports Research; Journal of Global
Sport Management, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Communication & Sport, and Sport Management Digest.
Select Publications
Books
- Abeza, G & King-White, R. (2024). Sport and Social Media in Business and Society". Routledge:
New York, NY.
- Abeza, G & Sanderson, J. (2024). Social Media in Sport: Evidence-Based Perspectives. Routledge:
New York, NY.
- Abeza, G. (2023). Ethiopian Premier League: Multi-Dimensional Normative Study and Developmental
Roadmap (in Amharic). Pana Printing, Addis Ababa, ET
- O’Reilly, N., Seguin, B. Abeza, G., & Naraine, M. (2022). Sport Marketing: A Canadian Perspective (3rd Edition). Human
Kinetics.
- Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., Sanderson, J. & Fredrick, E. (2021). Social Media in Sport: Theory
and Practice. World Scientific: Barcelona, Spain.
- O’Reilly, N., Abeza, G., & Harrison, M. (2021). Sport Sponsorship. Rutledge Book Series. London, UK
- Finch, D. J., O'Reilly, N., Abeza, G., Clark, B., & Legg, D. (2019). Implications and Impacts of eSports on Business and
Society: Emerging Research and Opportunities: Emerging Research and Opportunities.
IGI Global.
Refereed Journal Articles
- Abeza, G. (2023). "Social media and sport studies (2014–2023): A critical review." International
Journal of Sport Communication, 16(3), 251-261.
- Abeza, G., & Sanderson, J. (2022). "Theory and social media in sport studies." International
Journal of Sport Communication, 15(4), 284-292.
- Abeza, G., Braunstein-Minkove, J., Kim, A., O’Reilly, N., & Abdourazakou, Y. (2021). “Ambush
marketing via social media: The case of most recent Olympic Games.” International
Journal of Sport Communication
- Abeza, G., O'Reilly, N., Finch, D., Seguin, B. & John, N. (2020). “The Role of Social Media
in the Co-Creation of Value in Relationship Marketing: A Multi-Domain Study”. Journal
of Strategic Marketing, 28(6), 472-493.
- Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., & Seguin, B. (2019). “Social Media in Relationship Marketing: The
Perspective of Professional Sport Managers in the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL.” Communication
& Sport. 7(1), 80-109.
- Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., & Seguin, B. (2018). “The Sequential Funnel-Based Focus Group Design:
Adapting the Focus Group for Research in Sport Management”. Journal of Global Sport
Management
- Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., Seguin, B., & Nzindukiyimana, O. (2017). “Social Media as a Relationship
Marketing Tool in Professional Sport: A Netnographical Exploration.” International
Journal of Sport Communication, 10(3), 325-358.
- Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., Seguin, B. & Nzindukiyimana, O. (2015). “Social Media Scholarship
in Sport Management Research: A Critical Review. Journal of Sport Management.” 29(6),
601-618.
Courses Taught
- KNES 280 Introduction to Sports Industry
- KNES 345 Seminar and Field Experience in Sport
- KNES 391 Sport Event Management
- KNES 396 Independent Study
- KNES 452 Sport Marketing
- KNES 454 Sport Sales and Sponsorship
- KNES 472 Revenue in Sport/ Selected Topics
