As TSM and CLG loaded onto the rift, the sold out audience at Madison Square Garden roared louder than any Knicks crowd in recent history.

The surge of TSM chants overpowered the minority that dared root for the opposing team. TSM had an overwhelming home-field advantage that would have brought the Seattle Seahawks’ ‘12th man’ to their knees.

Despite the seemingly substantial numbers advantage over the fanbase of CLG, TSM had managed to lose their first two games, and their fan base's support with it. CLG chants began to overtake the vocal majority, and it had become increasingly clear that the once TSM-sided crowd had flip-flopped their support for the winning team.

This wasn’t a mere case of CLG fans stepping up, as many supporters had changed their allegiance to the winning team. “Free-SM” chants began to boom throughout the arena, as CLG was brought on stage to celebrate their LCS Finals victory.

The LCS Finals crowd shifted their support to the winning team - Riot Games

Although a plot-driven cliche used in sports films, a sellout crowd changing its allegiance is an unusual circumstance. Traditional sports crowds are known for their consistency- they are loud if the game is close, and are drained when their team loses big. Traditional sports fans may vary by how aggressive they are to the opposing team, but a Seattle Seahawks fan wouldn’t be caught dead cheering for the Arizona Cardinals- unless it had playoff implications for Seattle.

Sports fans are passionate for their team, and  they often support teams to unreasonable lengths. They will support their team through bad ownerships and will jeer at their once-favorite player- whenever he joins a rival team.

This kind of blind fandom is uncommon in the realm of esports. Longstanding brands have large fanbases, but esports fans seemed more attached to regions and players, rather than the established organizations. This could not be more apparent than when Doublelift left CLG, causing a sizeable migration of CLG fans to TSM. Fans that realized they supported Doublelift more than CLG had few qualms jumping ship to their team’s oldest rival. This kind of inconsistency has made it difficult for advertisers to safely invest in less established brands.

The Madison Square Garden was a living illustration of how quickly esports fans can change allegiance to the winning team. While watching “fans” change their loyalties over the course of a Bo5 series, it becomes easy to see how lower-tier teams might struggle to amass a respectable fanbase. NME is a notable example of a team that couldn’t see past their mediocrity, turning down a supposed multi-million dollar offer for a team that ended the year relegated to the NA Challenger Series. By failing to establish a fanbase, the organization struggled to generate revenue which resulted in the team struggles to accomplish anything of note during their brief LCS tenure.

Bandwagons- fanbases that root for a winning team- occur in traditional sports, but never to the extent that persists in esports. Some fans may follow Lebron James from  Miami to Cleveland, but they are generally considered more casual spectators.

In esports, fans will bandwagon a select few teams due to their success, players or their regional alignment. The flair distribution on the League subreddit is a great illustration of how fans congregated around the top four teams in North America towards the end of worlds. TSM, C9 and CLG have significantly more flairs than the bottom half of N.A. combined. Team Liquid, unsurprisingly, finds themselves in fourth- the same place they finished at the end of the regional qualifier.

Fans that only root for winning teams are often nicknamed 'Fair Weather Fans' or 'Bandwaggoners' - Riot Games

The European flair statistics seem to be more generous to mediocre teams in 2015, such as Elements and Gambit. Fan favorites such as Froggen and Diamondprox kept these teams above water from a fandom perspective. Gambit’s Moscow 5 legacy likely contributed to their over-par support.

Although many esports fans congregate around the best teams, some might say they are wiser than sports fans. In a sporting environment that has been anything but stable, perhaps refusing to settle for mediocrity is a good thing. Dignitas has struggled keeping their heads above water, which has resulted in lessening support for the team. Winterfox displayed traits of a poorly run organization, and were left relegated and irrelevant because of it.

This is to say, the system works for the teams that are consistently fielding top domestic rosters. These organizations must establish a winning culture, which is important in all major sports.

This was fine in 2015 when a number of teams merely wished to stave off relegation, but 2016 has brought in millions of dollars of venture capital that will be looking to turn a profit in the future. These teams will need to claw their way apart from the pack if they wish to establish a healthy fanbase.

With over five investor-backed Western teams trying to find their niche in the growth of Lolesports, its seems like some twisted game of roulette to determine which investors get burned, as player’s livelihoods are at stake. This season will be one of the bloodiest NA LCS seasons, as the pressure to succeed burns its way into a number of team dynamics.

This increase in domestic competition, however, could change how esports fans support their teams further down the line. If most of the investor-backed teams prove to be managed competently, fans may begin to filter into their fan base's ranks. Branding undoubtedly has an impact on how spectators support the team, so it would make sense that venture capital-backed teams would have an advantage due their savvy business relationships. How longstanding teams such as Cloud9 and TSM will fare will impact these team’s in the long-term.

Success is not the only factor to consider, as evidenced by beloved players such as Diamondprox and Froggen attracting fans to subpar organizations. Players such as Doublelift and Xpeke have also caused longtime fans to reconsider their allegiance. Xpeke backed up his stardom by assembling one of the best western teams of 2015, but it was his wealth and notoriety that helped him attract advertisers and players.

Some esports fans are backing teams based on their owners. Echo Fox, the team owned by Lakers legend, Rick Fox, seems to have casual fans interested despite their mid-caliber roster. Perhaps a strong ownership that reinforces positive lifestyles could translate into a winning League team.

The relegation system undoubtedly has an impact on fan’s loyalties. Fans that supported Coast and XDG were forced to relocate after their respective relations. Why should a fan go through the process of buying apparel and supporting a team that might not exist in six months? The rumored franchise system that Riot may be looking into for 2017 would help weaker brands stay relevant, avoiding the pitfalls of relegation.

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