Esports viewing linked to wellbeing, Stirling study finds

Watching esports can contribute to fans’ wellbeing when it creates deeply immersive viewing experiences known as flow, according to new research from the University of Stirling.

Esports (electronic sports) are organised competitive video game competitions in which players or teams compete against each other, often in professional tournaments watched by live and online audiences.

Researchers surveyed 400 esports fans in South Korea, evenly split between those attending official in-person tournaments and those watching unofficial online streams.

Using statistical modelling, the team examined how different motivations for watching esports – including appreciation of player skill, entertainment, and social interaction – are linked to positive psychological outcomes.

While earlier studies have shown that esports viewing can support wellbeing, this study breaks new ground by directly comparing how the process works across official onsite and unofficial online settings.

By comparing two groups, the researchers found that the pathways from motivation to flow to wellbeing work in similar ways in both contexts, but with key differences.

The study found that esports spectators can experience psychological benefits, such as immersion and improved subjective wellbeing, when watching competitions – whether they are attending an official onsite event or watching through unofficial online streams.

However, simply admiring professional players’ gameplay and strategies does not directly improve wellbeing, the study shows. Instead, skill-based motivations – such as learning strategies or analysing high-level play – were linked to wellbeing only when they produced a state of flow, a psychological experience characterised by intense focus and enjoyment. The concept of flow was first introduced by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Entertainment motivations, including drama, novelty and escapism, were found to directly enhance spectators’ subjective wellbeing in both viewing settings. However, their influence on immersion differed depending on where fans watched. At official live esports events, entertainment strongly predicted the experience of flow, while among viewers watching unofficial online streams it did not significantly trigger the same level of deep engagement.

Social motivations also played different roles across platforms. For viewers watching unofficial streams online, social interaction and shared community experiences were directly linked to improved wellbeing. In contrast, for fans attending tournaments in person, social motivations contributed to wellbeing indirectly by encouraging deeper immersion in the viewing experience.

Meaningful benefits

Dr Sungkyung Kim, Assistant Professor in the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, who led the study, said: “Esports is often discussed in terms of competition and performance, but our findings show that spectators can also experience meaningful psychological benefits.

“Fans who watch esports to learn from skilled players do not gain a wellbeing boost simply from admiring great play. They need to become fully absorbed in the experience first.

“That state of flow, where you lose track of time and feel completely engaged, is what turns an interest in skill into a real benefit for how you feel. This was true for fans at live events and for those watching streams at home.”

Dr Hee Jung Hong, Associate Professor in the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, who co-authored the study, added: “What is encouraging is that the fun side of esports - the drama, the excitement, the novelty - directly makes fans feel better regardless of where they watch. And when we tested whether the overall psychological process differs between live and online audiences, we found no significant difference.”

Practical opportunities

The findings also point to practical opportunities across the esports ecosystem. Event organisers may benefit from creating sensory-rich environments that encourage spectators to become immersed in live competitions, while streaming platforms could develop features that highlight gameplay skill and support more structured viewing experiences.

Broadcasters and content creators may also enhance engagement by designing coverage that encourages sustained attention, particularly when showcasing high-level competitive play.

While traditional sports spectatorship has been widely studied, esports research has focused on players rather than viewers. This study helps address that gap by examining how passive spectatorship can contribute to positive psychological outcomes.

The research also highlights esportslives’ distinctive dual spectatorship model, where audiences frequently move between watching professional competitions and engaging with community-driven streaming content.

The cross-sectional study surveyed 400 South Korean esports consumers and analysed the data using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

The study Official onsite event versus unofficial streaming: Understanding the wellbeing formation in esports spectatorship was published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.