eSport and the exploitation of digital labour

Abstract

Our discussion overviews eSports’ connection to labour, work and the digital economy in an effort to situate and make contextual comment on those issues, finding that there is a particular concern in regard to the economic exploitation of fan-based digital labour, and specifically in relation to digital labour and streaming platforms. Our concern emerges from the powerless individuals of many of the aspirational eSports fan participants within the economic structure of the eSports industry and specifically in relation to online streaming platforms and their advertising sales economic activity. We find that significant further work is required by government and regulators to ensure that power-deficient individuals such as aspirational eSports players and juveniles are not economically exploited by eSports institutions and for-profit streaming services.