Exploring the Impact of Digital Innovativeness on Esports Fan Identification and Engagement: An Integrated Framework of Innovation Diffusion Theory and the Psychological Continuum Model

This study investigates the impact of digital innovativeness on esports fan identification and engagement by integrating innovation diffusion theory and the psychological continuum model (PCM). Drawing on survey data from 347 Taiwanese esports fans, we employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed relationships. Results indicate that digital innovativeness significantly enhances value co-creation experiences, fan knowledge, and fan identification. Among these, fan identification is the strongest predictor of engagement behaviors. Value co-creation experiences do not directly lead to engagement, but mediate through identification. The effect of innovativeness on identification is more pronounced in the early PCM stages (awareness and attraction) than in later stages (attachment and allegiance). These findings contribute to esports marketing literature by clarifying the causal pathways between digital innovativeness and fan engagement, and by emphasizing the strategic value of targeting early-stage fans through innovative approaches to strengthen identification and cultivate enduring digital fandom.