Esports event marketing: An exploration of the applications and strategies through a case study

With the advent of digitized viewing habits, developments in online Technologies and the increased interest in virtual work and recreation due to the pandemic; esports, which depend on competitive video gaming in front of an audience, have taken significant steps in popularity and revenue. Esports tournaments and events, which form the basis of this thesis, carry great importance in the industry and are a main source of revenue and viewership. In this study, through a selected case study; team and player relations, methods used to increase attendance of the tournament and steps taken to ensure high viewership of the live broadcast of the event will be viewed through event marketing theoratical frameworks. The steps taken for marketing the tournament will be analyzed through qualitative, descriptive and thematic methods; and suggestions to improve the efficiency of future event marketing strategies will be shared.