Comparative case study of X-based fan discourse in esports vs. traditional sports: 2024 MSI and 2023 NBA Finals Game 5

Purpose This comparative case study examines fan discourse and sentiment in esports versus traditional sports, focusing on X (formerly Twitter) discussions surrounding the 2024 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Finals and the 2023 NBA Finals Game 5. Drawing on dual-process theory and social identity theory, it seeks to illuminate how distinct cognitive and identity-driven processes shape online fan behavior. Design/methodology/approach Posts related to each event were collected via the X API and preprocessed to remove noise. Sentiment analysis using Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner classified posts as positive, neutral, or negative, while Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling revealed overarching themes. Discourse was further categorized as team-focused, player-focused, both, or neither, enabling detailed cross-case comparisons. Findings Esports fans exhibited significantly higher levels of neutral sentiment and a pronounced player-centric focus, aligning with more analytical discourse. Traditional sports fans showed a broader emotional spectrum, including stronger positive and negative sentiments and a greater emphasis on team identity. These divergent patterns suggest the interplay of cognitive processing and social identity factors. Originality/value This study contributes novel empirical evidence of how online fan discourse differs between esports and traditional sports, reinforcing theoretical propositions regarding analytical esports discourse and holistic sports discourse integrating sentiment analysis with topic modeling offers a methodological advance for examining sport-related social media discourse.