Predicting soccer consumption: do eSports matter? Empirical insights from a machine learning approach

Purpose This paper aims to shed novel light to further the ongoing debate about the relationship between traditional sports and eSports by gathering empirical evidence on the role that eSports play on the consumption of traditional sports (i.e. live matches at the Stadium, TV matches spectating, merchandise or sponsor purchase), in the peculiar context of soccer. Design/methodology/approach An extensive literature review on both sports and...