As esports continues to carve out a substantial niche in the global entertainment industry, attracting over half a billion viewers annually, the nature of viewer engagement emerges as a pivotal factor in the ecosystem’s economic and cultural vitality.
Traditional broadcast models, while effective in reaching wide audiences, often render viewers as passive consumers of content. This passive consumption stands in contrast to the inherently interactive nature of video gaming, suggesting a missed opportunity to deepen audience engagement and foster a more active viewership.
Towards solving this challenge, and transform passive esports viewers into active participants, we have developed the Dota 2 Twitch Extension, an innovative, interactive streaming tool used during the DreamLeague Season 15 tournament. This research provides insights into engaging over 300,000 viewers by integrating live statistics, analysis, and highlight reels directly into the broadcast.
The extension was developed to be both non-intrusive and easily discoverable, ensuring that it enriched the viewing experience without overwhelming the audience. User engagement data revealed a spectrum of interaction, from minimal to deeply involved, with increased activity during key live match moments. This suggests the extension’s effectiveness in making the viewing experience more interactive and engaging.
Significantly, we highlight the extension’s potential to enhance commercial opportunities through interactive advertising and sponsorship, providing a non-intrusive yet effective platform for brand engagement. The research demonstrates the viability of interactive features in enhancing esports viewership by making the audience active participants in the viewing experience, thereby deepening their engagement and loyalty.
Key Insights: how interactive features like live statistics, analysis, and highlight reels can transform passive viewership into active participation, and demonstrating the potential for new commercial opportunities through interactive advertising and sponsorship. Read the white paper.
Why This Matters: Traditional esports broadcasts often render viewers as passive consumers, missing the opportunity to deepen engagement. Our research shows that interactive tools can significantly enhance the viewer experience, making esports watching more immersive and engaging.
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