Who's watching from home? Who's cheering on-site? Empirical Study on Motivations for Esports Spectatorship in Taiwan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7903/ijecs.2327Keywords:
On-site Esports Spectator, Online Esports Spectator, Motivations for Esports SpectatorshipAbstract
Motivations of esports spectators are influenced by factors such as attachment to players (teams), uncertainty of outcomes, social interactions, knowledge acquisition, entertainment, and escapism, which drive them to watch esports competitions. In comparison to online spectating, attending live esports events offers a distinct set of experiences and sensations for spectators. A total of 764 valid questionnaires were collected for this study. The results indicate that spectators with weaker attachment motivations to players (teams) are more inclined to attend live events. Those with stronger social interaction motivations are more likely to attend live events, with male spectators being more influenced by attachment and social interaction motivations when deciding whether to attend. Empirical findings also demonstrate that "on-site" esports spectators are more willing to purchase and recommend gaming experiences compared to "online" spectators, with male spectators displaying higher purchase intentions. Spectators with stronger social interaction motivations show a stronger inclination toward recommending viewing, recommending gameplay, and purchasing behavior. Additionally, spectators with stronger motivations related to uncertainty of outcomes, social interactions, knowledge acquisition, entertainment, and escapism exhibit a higher willingness to purchase, even as their attachment motivations become weaker.References
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