Proposing a Framework for the Digital Transformation Maturity of Electronic Sports Businesses in Developing Countries

Digital transformation has become the top priority for 80% of sports companies worldwide, but statistics show that between 70 and 95% of all digital transformation projects fail due to the significant and varied challenges that sports businesses face during the digital transformation process. This is because strategy, not digital technology, drives digital transformation, and without a mature digital transformation model, success is unlikely. Moreover, the digital transformation model of developing and developed countries is not the same, and it cannot be adopted as a blueprint. Therefore, the aim of this research was to propose a framework for the digital transformation maturity of electronic sports businesses in developing countries. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 15 stakeholders of electronic sports businesses in Iran. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews, and three main perspectives were identified: (1) enablers, (2) digital resilience and capabilities, and (3) digital transformation maturity stages. The enablers were formed by six sub-themes, including governance and leadership, strategy, culture, and skills, innovation, technology, and data. Digital resilience and capabilities were formed by four sub-themes, i.e., business model and ecosystem, digital customer experience, digital employee experience, and digital processes. Additionally, it was found that the digital transformation maturity stages were based on four stages: digital beginners, digital followers, digital conservatives, and digital leaders. The findings indicate that moving towards digital transformation and achieving digital resilience in electronic sports businesses will be impossible without synergy between enablers and digital resilience and capabilities. This framework can be useful for electronic sports businesses to evaluate their current digital status and effectively guide them towards a desirable digital status. Furthermore, electronic sports businesses can prioritize their efforts and resources for digital transformation by focusing on targeted capabilities and enablers and ensure the more effective and efficient allocation of resources towards digital transformation.