This dissertation looks at several issues in designing an optimal skill-based consumer contest (SBCC). Consumer product (or service) companies, such as online entertainment providers, often use SBCCs to promote the consumption of their products (or services). The main objective of a SBCC is to maximize the profit from the enhanced consumption by consumers rather than their outcome in the contest. This research is the first to investigate design issues in contests of this kind. The first part of the dissertation explores the role of SBCCs in online entertainment area by focusing on the status-seeking behavior of human beings. Drawing from psychology literature, I argue that the desire for status provides a strong motive for consumers to compete with each other in online entertainment communities. In the second part of the dissertation, I build a game-theoretical model to study a handful of design issues arising from the SBCCs. In this framework, a monopoly firm faces n consumers who may differ in skill levels. The firm offers a set of prizes to consumers in a SBCC that requires two inputs: skill and consumption. One of the main findings in this research is that a Winner-Take-All prize structure is often optimal (but not always) for the SBCCs. Another finding is that consumers will compete more aggressively when their skill levels are closer to each other. As a result, the firm may be better off by segmenting consumers based on their skill levels. In addition, in some cases, the firm is better off by charging an entry fee to exclude low-skilled consumers. These findings contribute to existing literature on contest designs and provide practical guidelines for structuring a SBCC. The last part of the dissertation empirically analyzes two individual-level datasets from a wireless game to verify the insights obtained from the theoretical model. / text

Los e-sports son un movimiento moderno que ha ido creciendo los últimos años de manera acelerada. Estas competencias digitales surgen de la variedad de videojuegos que se han popularizado de manera global. Asimismo, el impulso de los usuarios para ser reconocidos como el mejor de su rubro han incentivado a miles de jugadores a migrar a las plataformas digitales. Es así como nacen páginas online que funcionan como punto de encuentro para millones de fanáticos en el mundo, la brecha geográfica se ha ido deteriorando gracias a la conexión vía internet y las nuevas generaciones se han adaptado a la digitalización. Esta migración masiva ha ido en subida desde la aparición del covid19 el cual generó la cancelación de muchos eventos deportivos que se realizaban de manera presencial. Es así, como nuevos usuarios han descubierto el mundo del entretenimiento online. Este se basa en una nueva tendencia que puede generar la misma cantidad de audiencia que un deporte tradicional como el tenis. Los principales protagonistas de estás transmisiones y eventos, son en muchos casos, los propios fanáticos los cuales generan de manera orgánica las diferentes competencias. Finalmente, se encuentran los populares streamers, que se pueden comparar con personajes públicos que tienen miles de espectadores que comparten sus ideas y sintonizan sus transmisiones día a día, ellos son la voz autorizada en el mundo de los e-sports debido a su gran poder de convencimiento y reciprocidad que reciben. Estos diferentes generadores de contenido han llevado a los e-sport a un papel principal que ha generado mucha curiosidad y demanda por parte de grandes marcas que buscan ingresar a este mundo. / Esports are a modern movement that has been growing rapidly in recent years. These digital skills arise from the variety of video games that have become popular globally. Likewise, the impulse of users to be recognized as the best in their field has encouraged thousands of players to migrate to digital platforms. This is how online pages are born that function as a meeting point for millions of fans in the world, the geographical gap has been deteriorating thanks to the connection via the Internet and new generations have adapted to digitization. This massive migration has been on the rise since the appearance of covid19 which caused the cancellation of many sporting events that were held in person. This is how new users have discovered the world of online entertainment. This is based on a new trend that can generate the same audience as a traditional sport like tennis. The main protagonists of these broadcasts and events are, in many cases, the fans themselves who organically generate the different competitions. Finally, there are the popular streamers, who can be compared to public figures who have miles of viewers who share their ideas and tune into their broadcast’s day by day, they are the authorized voice in the world of e-sports due to their great power of conviction and reciprocity that they receive. These different content generators have led e-sports to a leading role that has generated a lot of curiosity and demand from big brands looking to enter this world. / Trabajo de investigación