Understanding Media Consumption of Electronic Sports through Spectator Motivation, Using Three Different Segmentation Approaches: The Levels of Addiction, Passion, and Fan Identification

Electronic sports (eSports), or competitive video gaming, is a type of sport that has recently expanded its horizon from being a participatory sport to a spectator sport fueled by its wide popularity. In this regard, it is necessary to investigate why fans enjoy this new sports genre as a spectator sport. This study examines motivations of eSports spectators in diff erent segments to gain a better understanding of the behaviors of this growing population. Specifi cally, this study aimed to (a) investigate eSports spectators' motivations to discover the motives for their attachment to eSports, using eleven diff erent factors, and (b) explore diff erences in motivations among levels of addiction, fan identifi cation, and passion. An analysis of 368 eSports fans showed that they valued the Achievement and Economics factors most in watching eSports. They even experienced a sense of achievement and a certain pecuniary advantage that real sports spectators experience. In addition, the Escape factor was identifi ed as being the most important factor in explaining a passion for eSports-watching. This study also discovered signifi cant diff erences between the eleven spectator motives, demonstrating the eff ectiveness of segmentation analysis in investigating the behaviors of sports fans. In particular, the Economics and Escape factors revealed meaningful diff erences between groups for all segments. This study showed that eSports spectators watch this new type of sports based on motivations that are similar to those of existing sports fans; furthermore, it identifi ed signifi cant diff erences in spectator motivations depending on their level of involvement in eSports.