The Next Best Thing: How Media Dependency and Uses and Gratifications Inform Esport Fandom During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 ushered new forms of media engagement when traditional sporting events and league play were suspended. Subsequently, certain sections of the audience moved online to fill their needs typically satisfied via traditional sport consumption. Esport is one such form of digital entertainment that significantly altered the ways in which sport fans can immerse themselves in related content. To examine how those audience obtained gratifications, we surveyed traditional sport fans who have either increased or initiated esports media consumption during the pandemic, doing so through the lens of media dependency theory. Results from 155 sports fans demonstrate three key findings. First, gratifications for traditional sports were significantly higher than those of esports. Secondly, ascending esports consumers maintained significantly more intense gratifications than did new users. Finally, media dependency was a significant, positive predictor of all 12 of the traditional sports motivations and 9 of the 12 esport motivations.

Keywords

esport media dependency U&G

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Adams

K. L.

Devia-Allen

G. L.

Moore

M. A.

(2019). What’s esports? In Rogers

(Ed.), Understanding esports: An introduction to the global phenomenon (pp. 3–13). Lexington Books.

Ball-Rokeach

S. J.

(1985). The origins of individual media-system dependency. Communication Research, 12(4), 485–510. https://doi.org/10.1177/009365085012004003

Ball-Rokeach

S. J.

(1998). A theory of media power and a theory of media use: Different stories, questions, and ways of thinking. Mass Communication and Society, 1(1–2), 5–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.1998.9676398

Ball-Rokeach

S. J.

(2010). Media system dependency theory. In Donsbach

(Ed.), The international encyclopedia of communication. John Wiley & Sons.

Billings

A. C.

Wenner

Hardin

(Eds.). (2022). American sport in the shadow of a pandemic: Communicative insights. Peter Lang.

Biocca

(1988). Opposing conceptions of the audience: The active and passive hemispheres of mass communication theory. In Anderson

(Ed.), Communication yearbook (pp. 51–80). Routledge.

Blumler

J. G.

(2019). Uses and gratifications research. In Vos

T. P.

Hanusch

(Eds.), The international encyclopedia of journalism studies. John Wiley & Sons.

Brown

K. A.

Billings

A. C.

Murphy

Puesan

(2018). Intersections of fandom in the age of interactive media. Communication & Sport, 6(4), 418–435. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479517727286

Chaffee

S. H.

Kanihan

S. F.

(1997). Learning about politics from the mass media. Political Communication, 14(4), 421–430. https://doi.org/10.1080/105846097199218

10.

Das

(2022, February 24). Esports players and organizations express solidarity with Ukraine. AFK Gaming. https://afkgaming.com/esports/news/esports-players-and-organizations-express-solidarity-with-ukraine

11.

Etikan

Musa

S. A.

Alkassim

R. S.

(2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11

12.

Funk

D. C.

Pizzo

A. D.

Baker

B. J.

(2018). Esports management: Embracing esport education and research opportunities. Sport Management Review, 21, 7–13.

13.

Gantz

Wang

Paul

Potter

R. F.

(2006). Sports versus all comers: Comparing TV sports fans with fans of other programming genres. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 50(1), 95–118. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15506878jobem5001_6

14.

Grant

A. E.

Guthrie

K. K.

Ball-Rokeach

S. J.

(1991). Television shopping: A media dependency system theory perspective. Communication Research, 18(6), 773–798. https://doi.org/10.1177/009365091018006004

15.

Hamari

Sjöblom

(2017). What is esports and why do people watch it? Internet Research, 27(2), 211–232. https://doi.org/10.1108/intr-04-2016-0085

16.

Hilvert-Bruce

Neill

J. T.

Sjöblom

Hamari

(2018). Social motivations of livestreaming viewer engagement on Twitch. Computers in Human Behavior, 84, 58–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.02.013

17.

Hur

Y. J.

Valacich

(2007). Motivation and concerns for online sport consumption. Journal of Sport Management, 21(4), 521–539. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.21.4.521

18.

Jang

Byon

K. K.

(2020). Antecedents of esports gameplay intention: Genre as a moderator. Computers in Human Behavior, 109, 106336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106336

19.

Jansz

Martens

(2005). Gaming at a LAN event: The social context of playing video games. New Media & Society, 7(3), 333–355. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444805052280

20.

Katz

Blumler

J. G.

Gurevitch

(1973). Uses and gratifications research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509–523. https://doi.org/10.1086/268109

21.

Kim

Y.-C.

Jung

J.-Y.

(2017). SNS dependency and interpersonal storytelling: An extension of media system dependency theory. New Media & Society, 19(9), 1458–1475. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816636611

22.

Lee

Cheon

Judge

L. W.

Shin

Kim

K.-O.

(2012). Motives and marketing stimuli affecting esports consumption: Cross-cultural perspective. International Journal of Sport Management, 13, 203–223.

23.

Lee

Choi

(2018). Informed public against false rumor in the social media era: Focusing on social media dependency. Telematics and Informatics, 35(5), 1071–1081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.12.017

24.

Yang

Zhang

(2019). Mobile social media use intention in emergencies among Gen Y in China: An integrative framework of gratifications, task-technology fit, and media dependency. Telematics and Informatics, 42, 101244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2019.101244

25.

Lin

C. A.

(2002). Perceived gratifications of online media service use among potential users. Telematics and Informatics, 19(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0736-5853(01)00014-4

26.

Lowrey

(2004). Media dependency during a large-scale social disruption: The case of September 11. Mass Communication and Society, 7(3), 339–357. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327825mcs0703_5

27.

Newman

J. I.

Xue

Watanabe

N. M.

Yan

McLeod

C. M.

(2022). Gaming gone viral: An analysis of the emerging esports narrative economy. Communication & Sport, 10(2), 241–270.

28.

Papacharissi

Rubin

A. M.

(2000). Predictors of Internet use. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 44(2), 175–196. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15506878jobem4402_2

29.

Pizzo

A. D.

Sangwon

Baker

B. J.

Mi Ae

Doohan

Funk

D. C

. (2018). eSport vs. sport: A comparison of spectator motives. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 27(2), 108–123.

30.

Qian

T. Y.

Wang

J. J.

Zhang

J. J.

(2020a). Push and pull factors in esports livestreaming: A partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. International Journal of Sport Communication, 13(4), 621–642.

31.

Qian

T. Y.

Wang

J. J.

Zhang

J. J.

Hulland

(2022). Fulfilling the basic psychological needs of esports fans: A self-determination theory approach. Communication & Sport, 10(2), 216–240.

32.

Qian

T. Y.

Wang

J. J.

Zhang

J. J.

L. Z.

(2019). It is in the game: Dimensions of esports online spectator motivation and development of a scale. European Sport Management Quarterly, 20(4), 458–479. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2019.1630464

33.

Qian

T. Y.

Zhang

J. J.

Wang

J. J.

Hulland

(2020b). Beyond the game: Esports online spectator demand. Communication & Sport, 8(6), 825–851.

34.

Raney

A. R.

(2006). Why we watch and enjoy mediated sports. In Raney

A. R.

Bryant

(Eds.), Handbook of sports and media (pp. 339–356). Routledge.

35.

Rogers

E. M.

(1995). Diffusion of innovations. Free Press.

36.

Rogers

(2019). Understanding esports: An introduction to the global phenomenon. Lexington Books.

37.

Rogers

Farquhar

(2022). Esports: A pandemic-proof alternative to traditional sports? In Billings

A. C.

Wenner

L. A.

Hardin

(Eds.), American sport in the shadow of a pandemic: Communicative insights (pp. 243–258). Peter Lang.

38.

Rogers

Farquhar

Mummert

(2022). Motivational differences among viewers of traditional sports, esports, and NBA 2K League. Communication & Sport, 10(2), 175–194.

39.

Rubin

A. M.

(2009). Uses and gratifications perspective on media effects. In Bryant

Oliver

M. B.

(Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and Research (3rd ed., pp. 165–184). Routledge.

40.

Ruggiero

T. E.

(2009). Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st Century. Mass Communication and Society, 3(1), 3–37. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327825mcs0301_02

41.

Schaedel

Clement

(2010). Managing the online crowd: Motivations for engagement in user-generated content. Journal of Media Business Studies, 7(3), 17–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2010.11073509

42.

Seo

W. J.

Green

B. C.

(2008). Development of the motivation scale for sport online consumption. Journal of Sport Management, 22(1), 82–109. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.22.1.82

43.

Seo

Jung

(2016). Beyond solitary play in computer games: The social practices of eSports. Journal of Consumer Culture, 16, 635–655. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540514553711

44.

Sheldon

(2008). Student favorite: Facebook and motives for its use. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, 23(2), 39–53.

45.

Sjöblom

Torhonen

Hamari

Macey

(2019). The ingredients of Twitch streaming: Affordances of game streams. Computers in Human Behavior, 92, 20–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.10.012

46.

Slater

M. D.

(2007). Reinforcing spirals: The mutual influence of media selectivity and media effects and their impact on individual behavior and social identity. Communication Theory, 17(3), 281–303. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2007.00296.x

47.

Stafford

T. F.

Stafford

M. R.

Schkade

L. L.

(2004). Determining uses and gratifications for the internet. Decision Sciences, 35(2), 259–288. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.00117315.2004.02524.x

48.

Tang

Kucek

Toepfer

(2022). Active within structures: Predictors of esports gameplay and spectatorship. Communication & Sport, 10(2), 195–215.

49.

Wang

Lee

M. K. O.

Hua

(2015). A theory of social media dependence: Evidence from microblog users. Decision Support Systems, 69, 40–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2014.11.002

50.

Wann

D. L.

(1995). Preliminary validation of the sports fan motivation scale. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 19(4), 377–396. https://doi.org/10.1177/019372395019004004

51.

Wann

D. L.

Grieve

F. G.

Zapalac

R. K.

Pease

D. G.

(2008). Motivational profiles of sport fans of different sports. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 17(1), 6–19.

52.

Wohn

D. Y.

Freeman

(2020). Live streaming, playing, and money spending behaviors in esports. Games and Culture, 15, 73–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412019859184

53.

Xiao

(2020). Factors influencing eSports viewership: An approach based on the theory of reasoned action. Communication & Sport, 8(1), 92–122.

54.

Kim

Billings

A.C.

(2022). Let’s watch live streaming: How streamer credibility influences brand attitude in esports streamer marketing. Communication & Sport, 10(2), 271–290.

55.

Yang

Wang

Abuljadail

(2015). Who pays for online content? A media dependency perspective comparing young and older people. International Journal on Media Management, 17(4), 277–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/14241277.2015.1107567

56.

Yang

Y. C.

Boen

Gerken

Schorpp

Harris

K. M.

(2016). Social relationships and physiological determinants of longevity across the human life span. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(3), 578–583. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1511085112