Mediating effect of esports content live streaming in the relationship between esports recreational gameplay and esports event broadcast

Abstract

PurposeRecently, Jang and Byon (2020) found that esports recreational gameplay consumption is causally linked to esports online media consumption. In the context of esports, live-streaming content (by individual creators) is a new type of media consumption, which should be distinguished from esports event broadcast. Extending Jang and Byon’s finding, the purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effect of esports content live streaming in the relationship between esports recreational gameplay and esports event broadcast because it allows the games to be more accessible to viewers due to two-way communication. In order to test for stability of the mediating effect of esports live content streaming, we examined the hypothesized model across the three genres (i.e. imagination [n = 224], physical enactment [n = 195], sport simulation [n = 179]).Design/methodology/approachData (N = 598) were collected via an online survey from individuals who had experienced esports recreational gameplay. A total of 15 items with five dimensions (i.e. esports recreational gameplay, esports content live streaming, esports event broadcast, streamer identification, and pro-player identification) were adapted from existing studies. The two identification constructs and gender were used as control variables.FindingsThe model fit of the measurement model was found to be acceptable via CFA. The results of SEM indicated that the intention of esports content live streaming consumption played a full mediation role in the relationship between esports recreational gameplay behavior and the intention of esports event broadcast consumption. Additionally, we found the mediating effect of esports content live streaming across the three genres.Originality/valueThis study contributes to literature related to the esports consumer behavior by conceptualizing esports content live streaming and found that esports content live streaming represents a mechanism that underlies the relationship between esports recreational gameplay intention and esports event broadcast consumption.

Effect of Prior Gameplay Experience on the Relationships between Esports Gameplay Intention and Live Esports Streaming Content

“…Thus, understanding esports consumers is essential to enhancing the sustainability of esports firms such as the developer-companies' live-streaming platforms. To explain the recent esports phenomena, studies of esports have been conducted across diverse disciplines, such as sport management, gaming and gambling, and mental wellness [2][3][4][5][6]. In sport management, Jang, Kim et al [7] identified social atmospheric elements (i.e., social density, suitable Sustainability 2021, 13, 8019 2 of 13 behavior, similarity, cosplay, and cheering behavior) to measure esports event participants' perceptions.…”

“…Jang and Byon [3] found that hedonic motivation, price value, effort expectancy, and flow predicted the intention to engage in esports gameplay, and this intention affected actual gameplay behavior and the intention to consume esports media. Jang et al [4] extended the consequence of esports gameplay intention by distinguishing streamers' live esports streaming content and esports events broadcast from esports media consumption. In the complex combination of consumption in the esports context, Jang and Byon [3] and Jang et al's [4] findings indicated that esports gameplay consumption needs to be highlighted as the focal consumption that leads to other types of consumption, such as watching other gamers' gameplay via media.…”

Clustering Esports Gameplay Consumers via Game Experiences

“…The proposed four clusters in this study contribute to the esports literature by explaining esports consumers more holistically. The behavioral prior experience of esports consumers (esports gameplay, viewing esports content, and hardware enthusiasm) aligned with focal esports consumption based on the esports context's unique features (Jang and Byon, 2020a;Jang et al, 2020;Macey et al, 2020). As the proposed four clusters categorized esports consumers based on their behavioral prior experiences, we believe the clusters are considered more appropriate and benefit practitioners to explain and segment esports gameplay consumers.…”

Guest editorial

“…Mediating effect of esports content live streaming in the relationship between esports recreational gameplay and esports event broadcast (Jang et al, 2021) • Does the intention related to the consumption of esports content live streaming serve as a mediator between esports recreational gameplay behavior and esports event broadcast consumption? • Is there generalizability of the conceptual model across the esports game genre categories?…”