Between Sports and Business – National Esports Associations in Europe

Aims: This article presents a study focusing on national esports associations in Europe. The study aims at discussing the differences and similarities in the associations approaches to legitimizing and growing the national esports scenes.

Methods and results: Innterviews of representatives from eight national associations from Europe (Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Macedonia, Netherlands, Sweden and UK) and further contextual interviews with professional players, tournament organisers and esports journalist are analysed and presented. While the national contexts of the associations vary greatly, their aims, goals and immediate actions are very similar in the wider perspectives. The associations mainly differ in two aspects: their approach to commercial esports and on the level of influence they are able to exert on and about the nationals esports scene.

Conclusions: While minutae and details of the associations differ, it is still possible to discern wider commonalities and differences that are not a product of national contextual differences. The article highlights the pattern of increasing influence of commercial actors also on smaller national scenes.