Antecedents and outcomes of sponsorship in the context of Esports

This chapter is based on a case study which explores characteristics of esports consumption, the profile of esports viewers and the factors that determine sponsorship effectiveness in esports. It comprises of three sections. The first section explores boundaries of esports sector and types of esports consumers, while establishing a link to the concept of leisure involvement. The second section considers approaches to evaluation of sponsorship effectiveness and outlines main sponsorship outcomes. In the third and last section descriptive results of the case study are presented, followed by discussion. Our findings suggest that opportunities in up-and-coming segments are very promising for brand sponsorships and advertising. The growing segment of females open up new doors for sponsors who are willing to make holistic business decisions and focus on improving sustainability of the esports industry.