The Effect of Esports Content Attributes on Viewing Flow and Well-Being: A Focus on the Moderating Effect of Esports Involvement

Chaoyu Yin, Yihan Huang, Daehwan Kim () and Kyungun Kim
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Chaoyu Yin: Party Committee Student Work Department, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Yihan Huang: Department of Marine Sports, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
Daehwan Kim: Department of Marine Sports, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
Kyungun Kim: Department of Marketing, Public Relations and Sport Management, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 16, 1-22

Abstract: Despite being recognized as a global entertainment phenomenon, the nature of esports has been a subject of ongoing debate due to its content attributes and the controversial impact it has on individuals’ physical and mental well-being. We contend that the fundamental source of contention lies within the inherent content attributes of esports. Drawing on uses and gratification theory (UG) and cognitive appraisal theory, the purpose of the current study was to explore how esports content attributes and viewers’ individual characteristics (esports involvement) influence the viewer’s experience (flow experience) and well-being (happiness and vitality). The results of a latent moderated structural equations (LMS) modeling analysis using a total of 539 viewers revealed that entertainment, reliability, and diversity significantly influenced flow experience, which in turn influenced viewers’ happiness and vitality. Esports involvement was found to have moderating effects on the relationship between reliability and usefulness attributes and flow experience. The findings of this research provide important contributions to the literature and have implications for sport marketing managers.

Keywords: esports content attributes; flow experience; happiness; vitality; esports involvement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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