Esports refers to competitive gaming that involves video games. These competitions can take various forms, but they usually involve last-man-standing or team-based games.

The popularity of esports has taken many people by surprise. Initially, there was debate over whether esports qualified as a real sporting discipline. However, this debate settled when it became evident that professional-level gameplay requires a significant amount of mental and physical agility.

Esports Evolution

With the rise of gaming, gamers can now play their favourite games like PUBG, from anywhere in the world. Mobile games have become increasingly popular, thanks in part to the convenience of being able to play on a smartphone or tablet. 

This has led to an increase in demand for various types of gaming apps, such as lottery apps that can be downloaded for free on IOS and Android. Along with mobile gaming, the world of video game competitions has also seen tremendous growth over the past 20 years. 

From small, home-organized events streamed online to stadium-filling tournaments featuring international teams of players. 

Esports has been a driving force behind the surge in popularity of video game competitions. Another area that regularly attracts thousands of viewers is speedrunning. The best streamers on Twitch often showcase their skills in this popular activity.

The involvement of big-name sponsors such as Red Bull, Honda, intel, Coca Cola, and U.S. Air Force in esports was not far behind. This kind of backing has attracted significant financial investment, and where there is a significant financial interest, bookmakers inevitably want to get involved. Nowadays, it is even possible to place online bets on up-and-coming games such as Leagues of Legends, CS:GO, and DOTA2.

Comparisons To Traditional Sports

Comparing gamers who sit down to play games with tournaments like the NBA or NFL might seem ridiculous to many. However, the current trends in esports are truly remarkable, and if they continue, it is possible that more people will tune in to watch esports as compared to traditional sports. Allow me to elaborate.

The meteoric rise of Esports can be attributed to two key factors: the expanding fan base and the growing renown of professional Esports athletes. A report by Activate, a technology consulting firm, indicates that the number of people identifying as esports fans has been rapidly increasing. 

This trend is a significant factor behind the growth of esports as a major industry. The figure has surged from 270 million to 411 million in a span of two years in 2020, it crossed the remarkable milestone of 500 million, demonstrating consistent growth.

Meanwhile, Esports athletes have amassed enormous followings of dedicated fans who look up to them as role models and seek to learn from their tactics and strategies. One such popular player is Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who has earned celebrity status and a dedicated fan following. Fans study his techniques and aspire to become esports stars themselves.

Income & Viewership

Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has an impressive following on the streaming platform Twitch. During competitions, Blevins typically garners over 72K viewers while streaming from home. Additionally, on Twitch, he has amassed 12 million followers. 

While his following may be smaller than LeBron James‘ Twitter following of 51 million, Blevins’ engagement numbers are considerably higher. James’ followers are less likely to reach out to him, given the assumption that they will not receive a response. Blevins, on the other hand, strives to maintain direct contact with his fans.

Moreover, Blevins’ earnings from Twitch are impressive. He earns an average of $300,000 as a passive income just from Twitch sessions. In contrast, LeBron James does not earn any income from his Twitter account.

The League of Legends World Championships final was a truly historic event, drawing a massive live-stream audience of over 100 million viewers. Surprisingly, this viewership figure exceeded those of several U.S. professional sports, including soccer, baseball and hockey. If we examine the viewership numbers across all platforms, it’s evident that consumers watched nearly three billion man-hours of Esports in 2020. This amount accounted for roughly 10 percent of regular sports viewing.

Strategies For The Continued Expansion Of Esports

The creators of the most popular Esports titles, including Blizzard and Valve, are confident that they’ve only begun to explore the vast potential of this burgeoning industry. Despite the already impressive growth they have experienced, their plans for further expanding the viewership numbers remain unchanged. 

They are taking cues from the sporting industry to achieve their goals of being recognized as a legitimate sport. For instance, competitive leagues are going to be set up in countries all over the world and major deals are being struck with major sports broadcasters to air these tournaments globally on TV screens.

The investment into Esports has brought about huge prize funds for top competitions like The International for DOTA2. In 2018, the prize pool for The International was a remarkable $25.5 million, marking a continued trend of Esports events offering unprecedented financial rewards. 

This sum was more than twice the prize pool for the largest purse in the PGA Golf Tour Tournament last year, demonstrating a clear pattern of Esports tournaments outpacing traditional sports in terms of financial incentives. With such predictable growth in Esports viewership and revenue streams, it’s becoming increasingly likely that future prize pools will continue to exceed even the most generous projections.

Esports has the potential to complement traditional sports through tie-ups with established sporting leagues. The NBA’s recent partnership with the publisher of the NBA 2K series of video games and Take-Two Interactive, is further evidence of the growing convergence between traditional sports and Esports. 

This partnership reflects a predictable trend of established sports organizations recognizing the immense potential of the Esports market and seeking to tap into its lucrative revenue streams. The NBA’s initiative highlights that there is no reason why these two disciplines cannot work together and benefit from each other.

Moreover, it appears that Esports has the ability to compete with traditional sports. The potential for growth in the Esports industry is enormous, with millions of people participating and watching Esports tournaments globally. 

As a result, the industry is attracting significant investment, with large corporations and celebrities getting involved in sponsoring and promoting Esports. This growing interest and investment demonstrate that Esports has the potential to become a mainstream activity that can rival traditional sports in terms of popularity and profitability.