How Language Affects Audience Cognition in Sports Sponsorship: Insights From Esports Broadcasting

With the growing presence of advertising in languages other than English, or nonalphabetic scripts, at international sporting events, research is needed specifically focused on language. This study employed a controlled experimental design with a questionnaire. Participants were randomly assigned to watch a video of esports broadcasting with billboard ads in the Roman alphabet or their native language. During the watching process, participants’ eye movements were recorded. Afterward, a questionnaire about recognition and recall of the sponsors featured in the video was completed. Results show significant differences in attention to sponsor signage across three metrics: time to first fixation, fixation duration, and fixation count. This manuscript is the first to use a neuroscience approach to test the language effect on TV sports audiences’ perception on sponsors. Sponsors could maximize sport sponsorship impact by displaying sponsorship signage in both the original and target market languages.