With ESports, people can watch other people play online games. It’s like watching a professional sporting event, except that people watch video gamers play against each other instead of watching a physical event. In recent years, eSports have become so popular that games are often shown at organized arena events.
Like traditional sports, these games are broken up into leagues and tournaments where players compete against each other.
Understanding eSports
Even though the eSports industry has been around since the 1990s, it has only just started to grow. Technology has made it possible for the user experience to be more like real life. Plus, new Internet services fix connection problems and let both the user and the spectator focus on the game without being interrupted.
The mobile revolution has also made it possible for people to access these games from anywhere. They don’t have to be at home in front of their computers to play or watch online sports. Because of these changes in technology, eSports have become a bigger part of people’s everyday lives. Most people who use eSports are men between the ages of 21 and 35 who work full-time. It’s now easier for them to fit eSports into their busy lives.
In many parts of Europe, eSports are very popular. Scandinavian and Eastern European countries watch the most video games on YouTube, and many countries have taken advantage of this by showing eSports on their main sports channels.
The biggest names in the eSports business
There have been a number of big companies that ran eSports, like Turtle Entertainment, Major League Gaming (MLG), and Dreamhack. One of the biggest game companies, Activision Blizzard, bought Major League Gaming in 2016 and has also made its own eSports platform.
Large broadcasters have also put a lot of money into eSports. For example, the U.S. sports network ESPN launched its own eSports brand at the start of 2016, complete with its own awards and ceremony.
eSports are also being shown on major channels in many European countries. Also, big online gaming platforms put resources toward streaming eSports.
Epic Games has made a lot of progress with tournaments and competitions for the game Fortnite that fans can watch.
The money side of eSports
In the past few years, ESports has grown into a profitable business that brings in hundreds of millions of dollars. Because of how popular it is, it works a lot like other professional sports leagues: the players are paid by the operators for taking part, the operators are paid by the distributors for the right to show the games, and the audience pays the operators for the right to watch. Also, like other sports and industries, eSports is a great place for advertisers and partners to get their names out there.
