Esport as a traditional sport: a qualitative research on the sportification of Rocket League

Esports has rapidly evolved over the past few years and has together with the gaming industry turned into a major entertainment medium that can be compared to traditional sports. This study aims to explore the characteristics of the Rocket League esport, how the esports scene functions as a marketing tool, how fan engagement plays a role in the success of esport, and how these things can be compared to traditional sports. Despite the growing popularity of esports, there is a limited amount of research that compares esports and traditional sports, specifically from the perspective of esport commentators. This study addresses this gap by looking how Rocket League commentators experience the esport landscape and how they compare their work to traditional sports commentary. Therefore the main research question is: How do Rocket League esport commentators experience the esport media landscape and how can their work be compared to traditional sports commentary? This question is answered by doing a qualitative research that uses semi-structured interviews with seven experts in the Rocket League esport. These seven experts have an extensive amount of experience in the esport scene and work or have worked at the highest level of broadcast in esport. These commentators provided insight into various themes of the esport such as esport commentary, broadcast professionalization, marketing, and fan engagement and compared these aspects to traditional sports. The data was collected using through in-depth interviews, which were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The three main themes that came out of the analysis were: esports vs traditional sports, esport as marketing, and fan engagement. The main findings showed that esports draw their inspiration from traditional sports, however, esports is also a young and evolving esport with a distinct identity that focuses more on fan engagement and being less serious. Sportification helps the esport scene to bridge the gap to traditional sports and become more approachable. The fundamental difference between esports and traditional sports is the ownership of the developers. Esports are often an owned product with the goal of being a marketing tool. Marketing and entertainment are closely linked, and fan engagement plays a crucial role in the success of esport. The fans can enhance the atmosphere during matches which influences the viewing experience. COVID has also impacted the esport by introducing hybrid working environments which still impact the esport scene to this day. In conclusion, the esports scene is an evolving field that integrates elements of traditional sports but still innovates them to fit their unique identity. There is a focus on personality, authenticity, storytelling, and fan engagement that plays a bigger role in esports, compared to traditional sports.