The double-edged sword brand image effects of esports vs. sports sponsorships: the moderating influence of fit and brand awareness

Purpose This study examines reputational risks in esports (e.g. violent content) and the comparative effectiveness of esports versus traditional sports sponsorships. Specifically, it investigates how event type (esports vs. sport) influences the transfer of positive and negative event images to sponsoring brands, with event-sponsor fit and brand awareness serving as moderating factors. The findings aim to offer insights for optimizing sponsorship strategies and managing brand image across different sport event contexts. Design/methodology/approach Building on Gwinner and Eaton’s adjective-based transfer measure approach, the current study conducted a series of pre-tests to develop measures of positive and negative image transfer adjectives through the lens of motivational system theory. A between-subject experimental design was employed, incorporating three independent variables: event type (esports vs. traditional sport), event-sponsor fit (high vs. low) and brand awareness (well-known vs. lesser-known). A total of 321 participants were recruited through an online research platform. Findings The findings suggest that event-sponsor fit significantly influences image transfer in traditional sport but is less pronounced in esports. Our results reveal that image transfer in esports sponsorship differs markedly from traditional sport, indicating that brands cannot simply apply traditional sport sponsorship strategies to the esports context but must develop tailored approaches to succeed in this dynamic environment. Originality/value This research applies motivational systems theory to sponsorship image transfer by examining both positive and negative effects, highlighting the role of negativity bias – a factor often overlooked in prior studies. It distinguishes the unique sponsorship dynamics of esports from traditional sport, showing that conventional event-sponsor fit models are less applicable in esports contexts.