Motivation to watch esports and spend money

This research aims to examine whether the motivation to watch esports, along with the variables of gender, age and educational status of esports viewers, is a predictor of individuals' motivation to spend money. In this research, a two-stage research design was used. In the first stage, the adaptation of the (MSES) " Motivation Scale of Esports Spectatorship" into Turkish and the development of the (EASMS) "Esports Audience Spending Motivation Scale" were carried out. In the second stage, the relational screening method was used to determine the relationship between esports viewer motivation and esports viewer spending motivations. The sample of the research consists of 709 esports viewers for the first stage and 1046 for the second stage, selected by convenience sampling method, for a total of 1755 esports viewers. As data collection tools, MSES adapted to Turkish by the author, EASMS developed by the author, and personal information form were used. In the data collection process of the study, a voluntary data collection tool was applied to esports viewers both through online forms and by hand distribution. In the data analysis process, firstly the assumptions were tested and two-way Manova, regression and two-way ANOVA analyzes were applied. In the statistical procedures performed, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) package program and the Structural Equation Model (Amos) statistical software package were used. It was concluded that there was no significant difference in viewer motivations according to participants' gender and education variables. In terms of money spending variable, viewer motivations in the sub-dimensions of competetion excitement, socialization opportunity, friend bonding and skill appreciation levels found to be higher among participants who spent more money. It was determined that there was a significant difference in the sub-dimensions of viewer motivation, friends bonding and game knowledge, depending on the gender and educational status of the participants. The significant difference was seen to be in favor of the university group between men's university and high school groups. In terms of participant's education and spending status, it has been determined that the primary impact value in the esports viewer motivation scale significantly differentiates in the sub-dimensions of socialization opportunity, friends bonding, skill appreciation, entertaining nature, dramatic nature, and competition excitement. When multiple comparisons were examined to determine the groups in which meaningful differences existed, it was observed that in the dimensions of socialization opportunity, friends bonding, skill appreciation, and competition excitement, those with a high school education were in favor of those who spend money, while in the entertining nature dimension, those with a university education were in favor of those who did not spend money. In the dramatic nature dimension, a meaningful difference was observed in favor of the group with a high school education who spend money, while a meaningful difference was observed in favor of the group with a university education level who did not spend money. Finally, viewing motivation explains spending motivation at a level of 4%.