This paper aimed to determine what types of relevant-added value esports fans most want sponsors to bring to them and to the competitive gaming industry. A review of the literature permitted the development of a conceptual model which was subsequently improved by analysing empirical data. A quantitative exploratory research was conducted on 1,359 esports fans who were sampled through a non-probability purposive heterogeneous method. Data was collected through a closed-ended online structured survey. The data showed that two of the three most wanted means for bringing relevant-added value are by directly helping the esports industry rather than focusing on the fans. Specifically, supporting the tournaments and pro-players and promoting good practice and integrity were highly valued. Most brands are still unaware of how to conduct effective esports sponsorships. By being one of the first studies in this area, this research provides brands with useful guidelines for developing sustainable esports sponsorships.

中文翻译：

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赞助商应如何为电竞带来相关附加值

本文旨在确定赞助商最希望赞助商为他们和竞争激烈的游戏行业带来哪些类型的相关附加值。对文献的回顾允许开发一个概念模型，随后通过分析经验数据对其进行改进。对 1,359 名电竞粉丝进行了定量探索性研究，这些粉丝通过非概率目的异构方法进行采样。数据是通过封闭式在线结构化调查收集的。数据显示，在带来相关附加值的三种最想要的方式中，有两种是直接帮助电子竞技行业，而不是专注于粉丝。具体而言，支持比赛和职业选手以及促进良好实践和诚信受到高度重视。大多数品牌仍然不知道如何进行有效的电子竞技赞助。作为该领域的首批研究之一，这项研究为品牌提供了发展可持续电子竞技赞助的有用指南。