Game On: A Comprehensive Look at Esports Consumer Behavior Trends

As a relatively new industry in the sports business world, much on Esports consumer behavior patterns remain unexplored. Previous studies have aimed to provide a clear and coherent picture of different Esports fan demographics, understand consumption habits and psychological tendencies of these groups, and forecast financial and statistical trends for the Esports industry in the future. This thesis works to elaborate on these previous studies through quantitative research via a comprehensive online questionnaire. This research is focused on investigating three topics of interest within the consumer behavior realm of the Esports industry. First, to provide a meaningful and useful segmentation of fans within the industry, offering potential sponsors a closer look at how to approach each segment with future advertising and/or messaging. Second, to monitor how the playing habits of gamers impact what content and which creators they choose to stream online. Third, to explore the level of influence (through sponsorships, messaging, etc.) video game content creators and Esports athletes have on particular types of consumers.
With the data gathered from this research, both endemic and non-endemic brands looking to enter the Esports sponsorship space will be able to make informed decisions on which marketing decisions make the most sense financially and demographically. Furthermore, brands will be able to use this data to ensure a clear and consistent message across all platforms in future marketing campaigns.