The Attention Economy and Esports: An Econometric Analysis of Twitch Viewership

Abstract

With the expansion of the esports industry, there is a growing body of literature examining the motivations and behaviors of consumers and participants. The current study advances this line of research by considering esports consumption through an economic framework, which has been underutilized in this context. Specifically, the “attention economy” is introduced as a theoretical approach—which operates with the understanding that due to increased connectivity and availability of information, it is the attention of consumers that becomes a scarce resource for which organizations must compete. Using data from the Twitch streaming platform, the results of econometric analysis further highlight the importance of structural factors in drawing attention from online viewers. As such, this research advances the theoretical and empirical understanding of online viewership behaviors, while also providing important ramifications for both esports and traditional sport organizations attempting to capture the attention of users in the digital realm.

Effects of Super Bowl advertising on online brand search: ten years of insights from 2011 to 2020

“…To begin with, we start with a basic model, where search lift is the dependent variable within the model, while ad likability is our main independent variable of interest. One of the primary concerns in estimating a panel regression is whether to use fixed or random effects within the model (Watanabe et al. , 2021), as the effect choice can influence the estimated coefficients and significance levels.…”

“…To begin with, we start with a basic model, where search lift is the dependent variable within the model, while ad likability is our main independent variable of interest. One of the primary concerns in estimating a panel regression is whether to use fixed or random effects within the model (Watanabe et al, 2021), as the effect choice can influence the estimated coefficients and significance levels. At the same time, in some cases, a random-effects model will be favored by scholars, as a fixed-effects model will omit any time-invariant factors, and thus potentially prevent estimation of key variables of interest.…”

Effects of in-game brand congruity on esports consumers' implicit and explicit memory

“…In concluding, this study provides a critical advancement upon the extant esports literature. Previous studies in the field have considered the role of esports within the sport management IJSMS 24,1 literature (Cunningham et al, 2018), the profile of esports consumers (Jang and Byon, 2019;Qian et al, 2020), and the economic market for esports (Watanabe et al, 2021). However, there is clearly a need for a better understanding of the marketing and branding dimensions that occur within the context of esports.…”

“…, 2018), the profile of esports consumers (Jang and Byon, 2019; Qian et al. , 2020), and the economic market for esports (Watanabe et al. , 2021).…”

“…In further considering this context, we utilize the definition of esports provided by Watanabe et al. (2021, p. 845), who state that esports is “an increasingly popular form of professionalized, organized, and competitive computer/video gameplay.” In this sense, esports encompasses a wide-range of video game titles that offer competitive play, including those in genres that mirror the existing sport industry such as NBA2k, Madden, and FIFA, as well as those that allow players to compete in other settings including Defense of the Ancients 2 (DOTA2), League of Legends (LoL), Call of Duty, and so forth.…”