Understanding Motivations for Streaming and Viewing for Esports Live Streaming

Citation

Kim S (2025) Understanding Motivations for Streaming and Viewing for Esports Live Streaming. In: Hong HJ & Kim S (eds.) Exploring Esports. Routledge, pp. 95-120. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032665504-8

Abstract
In today’s digital world, live streaming is a huge part of how people enjoy and consume entertainment. It is almost similar to watching a favourite show and sport live in the traditional media, but online with interactions. New social media platforms have completely changed how we communicate and get our entertainment, and this is especially true in the world of esports. Big platforms such as Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Gaming are leading this change, making it easy for anyone to broadcast or watch games. Live streaming has helped esports grow much bigger. It has changed how people make, share, and watch gaming content. Now, you can watch both professional esports tournaments with huge prize money and everyday gamers playing their favourite games, all live. In this chapter, we will dive into the reasons why some people choose to stream their gameplay and why so many others love to watch it. We will explore the psychology behind this growing trend and see what makes live streaming such a big deal in esports using several theoretical frameworks. We will also learn how understanding these motivations is important for marketing in the esports world.