Feature development for esports broadcasts with a focus on the intermission between matches

Sammanfattning: In a world where esports is growing quicker than ever and is looking towards traditional sports for guidance, taking a look at the format of both esports broadcasts and online streaming in general can give beneficial insights. This paper aims to evaluate if the format of esports broadcasts should no longer let itself be influenced by traditional sports and instead follow the habits and motivations behind esport’s online viewership itself. With a focus on the breaks and intermissions between matches in esports broadcasts, this paper takes a closer look at user behaviour during these specific timeframes and how to leverage these insights for feature development on broadcasting platforms. To best understand the online esport audience, a qualitative research method was employed. Semi-structured interviews with six viewers of esports and four industry professionals were conducted in order to gather valuable data. What can be seen from the study is that the biggest contribution for enjoyment when watching esports is the aspect of seeing skilled teams and individuals face-off in a quality oriented production. The motivation of being inspired and learning from watching esports is greatly valued. The study also reveals that viewers are more interested in individual esport competitors rather than teams. As an outcome, future broadcasting platform features should focus on learning how specific individuals succeed and where others do not. Features for the breaks and intermissions of broadcasts should have a strong focus on sound rather than visuals as viewer behaviours indicate that they want to do other activities simultaneously. Content that can be consumed using only sound during breaks is therefore advised even though the visuals should not be forgotten completely.