The Business Model Network of eSports: The Case of Overwatch

This paper, presented at DiGRA 2019 and authored by researchers at the University of Siegen, examines how the eSports industry operates as an interconnected network of stakeholders rather than as a traditional competitive market. Its central argument is that the sector's business models are interdependent: entrepreneurs, media companies, sports organizations, investors, developers, sponsors, tournament organizers, and players all form a shared ecosystem in which success depends on cooperation as much as competition. The authors frame this as a "business model network," which they position as an extension of Porter's five forces model, emphasizing value integration and synergy over pure rivalry.

The analysis argues that long-term viability depends on each stakeholder finding a sustainable place within the ecosystem, and that the precise structure of this network varies by title. Using Overwatch as the primary case, the paper contends that the game developer, Blizzard, plays an unusually dominant role by seeking to control both the game and its competitive league. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, by contrast, shows a far less dominant developer role. The authors argue that this centralized control may undermine the broader ecosystem, citing uncertainty around the Overwatch League's future, including possible collapse tied to renegotiations of media rights and sponsor agreements.

The paper is conceptual and case-based rather than empirical in the statistical sense. It draws on prior literature on eSports professionalization, labor ecosystems, and dynamic capabilities, and it does not report survey data, sample sizes, or quantitative financial measurements. Its geographic and temporal scope is therefore defined by the cases discussed and the period of the Overwatch League's early development, offering a theoretical framework for understanding stakeholder interdependence in competitive gaming.