An Exploration of Esports Consumer Consumption Patterns, Fandom, and Motives

Abstract

Esports, or competitive gaming, has become a large market in the entertainment industry, with a total market value approaching $1 billion USD in 2019. An understanding of esports consumers has become increasingly important as the industry continues to grow and evolve. Using a sample of 374 university students at a large public university, this study examines the motivations and fandom of esports consumers using a modified version of the Sport Fandom Questionnaire (SFQ) and the Motivation Scale for Sports Consumption (MSSC). Survey respondents were asked about their consumption of esports in relation to viewership, event attendance, social media usage, and spending. Three stepwise regression analyses were employed to examine the predictive capabilities of esports fandom and esports motivations on esports consumption variables. The results reveal a wide variety of relationships between esports fandom, motivation for consumption, and consumption behaviors.