Examining the Fans’ Perception of Sponsorship Fit in eSports

Sammanfattning: Title: Examining the fan’s Perception of Sponsorship fit in eSports - Exploratory study of Traditional Sports Determinants of Sponsorship Fit in the Context of eSports. Date of seminar: 2019-06-05 Course: BUSN 39 - Degree Project in Global Marketing Authors: Árni Alexander Baldvinsson & Joel Isopahkala Supervisor: Andrea Lucarelli Keyword: eSports, sponsorship, sponsorship fit, perceived fit, eSports fans Thesis purpose: The main purpose of this thesis is to gain understanding of how fans perceive sponsorships in eSports. This study investigates sponsorships from the fans perspective, exploring the meaning of perceptions in the context of eSports. The thesis investigates fans perception by earlier perception studies done in similar type of setting. Methodology: This thesis is guided by qualitative methods with an abductive approach. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with eSports fans, as well as related literature examined from former studies. Theoretical perspective: The proposed theoretical framework used for this study was build upon previous sport sponsorship fit studies. The previous literature on Perceived benefits, Regional Identification, Credibility, Ubiquity, and Association is reviewed. As for an exploratory, and abductive approach study, a theoretical framework was developed from empirical evidence. Empirical data: The empirical data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with fans of eSports. The data was provided from six international eSport fans that possess relevant knowledge about the investigated phenomenon. Findings: The main findings based on the proposed themes unfold that, traditional sport sponsorship fit studies are applicable in the context of eSports. Further, the study reveals that the both ubiquity of the sponsors and perceived benefits for the eSports scene is considered to have favorable influence on fans perception of the sponsorship fit. Sponsors’ appropriate engagement through longevity and right intentions is perceived to be an important factor when it comes to the credibility. In addition to that, sponsors’ association with eSports is seen more relevant through creative linkage and their product attributes, and that sponsors’ regional identification is perceived by the importance of country fit and market availability.