A Typology of Esport Players

A Typology of Esport Players David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT In recent years, esports have grown from a small number of local gaming activities undertaken by a few recreational participants to a...

Classifying sport consumers: From casual to tribal fans

Classifying sport consumers: From casual to tribal fans David P. Hedlund, Rui Biscaia, and Maria do Carmo Leal ABSTRACT Sport fans rarely attend sporting events alone. While traditional consumer and...

Youth Sport Coaches’ Perceptions of Sexually Inappropriate Behaviors and Intimate Coach-Athlete Relationships

Sungwon Kim, Daniel P. Connaughton, & David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT Although sexual harassment and abuse in youth sport have received increasing research attention worldwide, less is known about...

Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports: Call for Papers: Diversity and Sustainability in Electronic Gaming and Esports

JEGE Special Issue 01: Diversity and Sustainability in Electronic Gaming and Esports   SPECIAL ISSUE GUEST EDITORS: Emma VossenAmanda CullenKishonna GrayTaylor HardwickBerNadette...

Rebooting Content: Broadcasting Sport & Esports to Homes During COVID-19

Rebooting Content: Broadcasting Sport & Esports to Homes During COVID-19 Michael M. Goldman and David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT Beginning in early March 2020, sport in the U.S. entered an...

How to Differentiate Your Sports Management Program

How To Differentiate Your Sports Management Program David P. Hedlund, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Division of Sport Management St. John's University ABSTRACT David P. Hedlund is well...

The motivations of esports players

The motivations of esports players (from the book Understanding esports: An introduction to the global phenomenon) David P. Hedlund ABSTRACT Since the early 2000s, several inquiries have focused on...

The Education of Sport Coaches: What Should They Learn and When Should They Learn It?

The Education of Sport Coaches: What Should They Learn and When Should They Learn It? David P. Hedlund, Carol A. Fletcher, Simon M. Pack, and Sean Dahlin ABSTRACT Around the world, there is a...

Team Identification Full Circle

THE IMPORTANCE OF COGNITION, EVALUATION AND AFFECT Michael Naylor David Hedlund Geoff Dickson ABSTRACT Fans’ psychological connection to teams has long been of interest to sport...

Determinants impacting why college sports fans purchase merchandise

Determinants impacting why college sports fans purchase merchandise David P. Hedlund and Michael E. Naylor ABSTRACT Despite the importance of understanding the factors impacting the purchase of...

David P. Hedlund, Ph.D.

Sport Management, Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Coaching, Analytics and Esports Professor and Consultant


David P. Hedlund, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the Chairperson of the Division of Sport Management at St. John’s University in New York City. Dr. Hedlund earned his Ph.D. and a certificate in Measurement and Statistics from Florida State University.  He has more than 20 years of domestic and international experience in sports, esports, coaching, business, education and analytics. His areas of sport expertise and research include management, marketing, consumer behavior, sponsorship, coaching, esports and analytics. Dr. Hedlund also is a faculty advisor for esports at St. John’s University, an advisor for the student Sport Management Association, the Co-Moderator for the Gaming and Emerging Technology co-curricular club, in addition to numerous other service roles.

Dr. Hedlund is the lead editor and author of the first-of-its-kind textbook “Esports Business Management,” and he is the founding Chief Editor of the Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports. He is also a research committee member for the International Esports Federation, an educational program assistant for the United States Esports Federation, and a member of the Esports Research Network.

Outside of the university, Hedlund has also acted as a consultant for dozens of domestic and international high school, college, and professional esports teams as well as business and entrepreneurial ventures.  He is a globally recognized speaker and has spoken at international esports events such as the World Cyber Games and the Global Esports Executive Summit. Dr. Hedlund also works with collegiate and professional sport organizations on numerous analytics projects, while also educating students about current issues and opportunities in sports analytics, esports, entrepreneurship and other opportunities.

Dr. Hedlund is also a managing partner of Hedlund-Chuang Consulting Group, LLC.