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This study delves into the psychological processes underlying sport fans' post-purchase innovativeness behaviour. This exploratory research aims to establish a theoretical framework that elucidates the formation of sport fans' word-of-mouth (WOM) behaviours, particularly emphasising the structural relationship between motivated consumer innovativeness and satisfaction in using AR live-streaming services.

Utilising an online survey and convenience sampling, the study garnered a total of 243 usable responses from three online baseball fan communities in South Korea. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to assess the psychometric properties of the constructs. Subsequently, a structural equation model was used to probe the influence of motivated consumer innovativeness on WOM, with a particular focus on the mediating role of satisfaction.

Three dimensions of motivated sport fans innovativeness – functional, hedonic and cognitive – showed a positive association with WOM, partly mediated by satisfaction. In contrast, socially motivated sport fans innovativeness did not directly lead to WOM but influenced it solely through satisfaction. The full mediating role of satisfaction in the relationship between socially motivated fans innovativeness and WOM was found.

This research stands out as one of the scant studies exploring motivated sport fans innovativeness in the context of AR live sport streaming. The findings not only corroborate but also augment the extant literature by empirically confirming that three dimensions of motivated fans innovativeness, coupled with satisfaction, are pivotal antecedents to WOM intention.

The esports industry has experienced a dynamic growth. In this context, a significant evolution in the logic of corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be observed, particularly in the digital sphere. By extending Carroll’s three-dimensional model to include corporate digital responsibility (CDR), this paper addresses a key research question: How does CSR evolve and develop in the dynamic digital industry of esports?

This study employed a qualitative multiple case study research design. It drew on secondary data from 50 professional esports organisations and key players in CSR development in the global esports industry, such as game publishers, pro-teams, pro-athletes, event organisers, and governing bodies. A content analysis of 50 official websites and 72 public annual, CSR, and environmental reports for the financial years ending in 2021 and 2022 was conducted.

Our empirical findings not only map the territory of esports CSR and CDR but also provide practical insights. These insights are later synthesized to develop an esports CSR/CDR framework that extends Carroll’s three-dimensional model. CSR and CDR domains of esports are theoretically grounded (business performance, responsiveness, social issues, and digital responsibilities), while practical implications for managers and academics are forwarded.

This paper stands out as a pioneering empirical study, filling a significant research gap in the fields of CSR and CDR in esports. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first to illuminate these concepts within the unique ecosystem of esports, thereby contributing to the evolving understanding of CSR in the digital context.