TY - JOUR
T1 - Determinants of Online Live Esports Viewership With Advanced Data
T2 - The Case of League of Legends Champions Korea
AU - Ryu, Yoonji
AU - Jeong, Jaehyun
AU - Jang, Wonseok
AU - Lee, Gyemin
AU - Pyun, Hyunwoong
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024
PY - 2025/10
Y1 - 2025/10
N2 - With the rapid advancement of technology, esports have become more accessible and widespread on online platforms. The behavior of fans watching live broadcasts online differs from that of those watching on TV or attending stadium events. To understand the online demand for esports, this study examines the determinants of live esports viewership using advanced data from online platforms. We examined game-level data from the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) from the summer of 2019 to the summer of 2022. We analyzed four dependent variables representing esports online demands—hours watched, peak views, concurrent average views, and view drops—based on several pre-game (outcome uncertainty and team quality), in-game (game quality and upset result), and schedule-related (evening game) variables. Using two-way least squares dummy variable regression models, we identified the key determinants. The results suggest that outcome uncertainty, team quality, game quality, and evening games significantly impact esports online viewership. In addition, in-game factors, such as the sum and difference in kills between teams, attracted more viewers. This indicates that online viewers prefer games with more kills and a closer kill difference between teams.
AB - With the rapid advancement of technology, esports have become more accessible and widespread on online platforms. The behavior of fans watching live broadcasts online differs from that of those watching on TV or attending stadium events. To understand the online demand for esports, this study examines the determinants of live esports viewership using advanced data from online platforms. We examined game-level data from the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) from the summer of 2019 to the summer of 2022. We analyzed four dependent variables representing esports online demands—hours watched, peak views, concurrent average views, and view drops—based on several pre-game (outcome uncertainty and team quality), in-game (game quality and upset result), and schedule-related (evening game) variables. Using two-way least squares dummy variable regression models, we identified the key determinants. The results suggest that outcome uncertainty, team quality, game quality, and evening games significantly impact esports online viewership. In addition, in-game factors, such as the sum and difference in kills between teams, attracted more viewers. This indicates that online viewers prefer games with more kills and a closer kill difference between teams.
KW - esports
KW - esports viewership
KW - league of legends
KW - online platforms
KW - sport demand
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85201946235
U2 - 10.1177/21674795241277051
DO - 10.1177/21674795241277051
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85201946235
SN - 2167-4795
VL - 13
SP - 1190
EP - 1212
JO - Communication and Sport
JF - Communication and Sport
IS - 6
ER -