VAK Russia 5.2.3
VAK Russia 5.8.5
UDC 796.062.4
UDC 311.21
UDC 311.218
UDC 311.219
CSCSTI 77.00
CSCSTI 83.00
Russian Classification of Professions by Education 02.00.00
Russian Classification of Professions by Education 39.00.00
Russian Library and Bibliographic Classification 3
Russian Library and Bibliographic Classification 75
BISAC COM089000 Data Visualization
BISAC COM021030 Databases / Data Mining
BISAC COM032000 Information Technology
BISAC COM077000 Mathematical & Statistical Software
BISAC COM012040 Programming / Games
BISAC BUS043050 Marketing / Telemarketing
BISAC GAM004050 Gambling / Sports
Relevance. The digital transformation of the sports industry requires a scientific understanding of the processes of institutionalizing phygital sports and developing methodological frameworks to assess its socio-economic impact. The aim of this research is to measure the media coverage of the “Future Games 2025” tournament, identify trends in viewer behavior, provide practical recommendations for event organizers, and identify promising directions for phygital sport development. Methods. The study is based on an analysis of primary quantitative data from online broadcasts of the tournament (December 15–23, 2025, in Abu Dhabi) across 10 different disciplines on the Twitch, YouTube, and VK Video platforms. Descriptive statistical analysis, comparative analysis, and correlation analysis (using Pearson’s coefficient) were used. Results. The total audience exceeded 32 million views. The dominance of mobile disciplines (MOBA Mobile: MLBB – 39.0% of the total reach) and the regional VK Video platform (88.7% of recorded views) was observed. A weak positive correlation was found between the prize funds of disciplines and their media popularity (r = 0.34), suggesting a structural imbalance in investment. Conclusion. Phygital sports are entering a phase of widespread institutionalization, which necessitates the development of novel methodological approaches for assessing economic efficiency and optimizing investment models.
phygital sports, hybrid sports, esports, multi-sport tournament, media analytics, online audience, streaming platforms, Games of the Future, Abu Dhabi
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