Exploring Esports Spectator Motivations through a Market Segmentation Approach

Abstract

Previous studies have provided valuable insights into understanding esports consumer motivations. However, their findings are limited due to constraints in the motivation scales used. To address this, the current study adopted the Motivation Scale of Esports Spectatorship (MSES) developed by Qian et al. (2019) to examine esports spectators' motivations across different segmentation variables, specifically esports genres and psychological attachments. This study focused on three esports genres: First-Person Shooters (FPS), sports based games, and Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBA). Participants were grouped into three clusters—heavy, moderate, and light esports consumers—based on K-means cluster analysis. A MANOVA was conducted with a 3 (esports genres) × 3 (esports consumer clusters) design to examine motivational factors. Findings reveal that esports consumers have varied needs and desires for spectating based on genre and psychological attachment levels. Notably, heavy esports consumers tend to maintain consistent motivations across game genres, while moderate consumers, especially those who watch MOBA and sports games, exhibit [lower and diminishing] motivations over time. The results suggest that esports genre type and engagement level play critical roles in shaping spectator motivations, underscoring the importance of developing marketing strategies tailored to diverse consumer segments.