Dr Yue Meng-Lewis

Professional biography

Yue is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Digital Marketing at the Open University. Her research interests focus on esports and gaming, digital transformation in marketing and branding, and international communication strategies. She specialises in esports and gaming research with a particular interest in esports ecosystems, talent and career development, and policymaking, and has international collaborations with esports associations and clubs. Yue’s work has been published in the Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Marketing, Internet Research, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Information Technology & People, and Sport Management Review, amongst other journals. She co-authored the SAGE book Business Research Methods, and published chapters in many marketing and sport management textbooks. She served on the editorial board of the International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship and edited the Internet Research Special Issue on "Esports: A Multidisciplinary Research Perspective". She is also co-editing the Routledge book The Geopolitical Economy of Esports.

Yue has actively contributed to public engagement and research impact. She served as an academic consultant for two BBC documentary series, Trouble at Topshop in 2022 and Thames Water: Inside the Crisis in 2025.

Research interests

Sustainability in esports and gaming industries including business models, fan experiences, player wellbeing, professional careers development, and governance and policy-making;

Digital communication, marketing and branding in the gaming sector;

Gaming applications in healthcare, education, services and tourism.

Impact and engagement

2025 Academic consultant for BBC documentary series: Thames Water: Inside the Crisis (BBC2 and BBC iPlayer)

2024 Guest editing (lead editor) Internet Research Special Issue on “Esports: A Multidisciplinary Research Perspective”

2024 Guest editing Communication & Sport Special Issue on “Sport and the Metaverse: Characteristics, Applications, and Future Development”

2023 Host workshop on "Sport and the Metaverse" at the 31st European Association for Sport Management (EASM) annual conference, Belfast

2023 Research seminar at the SKEMA Business School, France - Understanding esports fans' live streaming experience

2023 Research webinar at the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Games and Esports Webinar Series - Exploring the esports live streaming experience

2022 Academic consultant for BBC documentary series: Trouble at Topshop (BBC2 and BBC iPlayer)

2021 Podcast: Sport Management Review Insights: Career development of esports athletes with Yue Meng-Lewis