[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hile eSports leagues have been around for a while, it was only until recently where they gained significant exposure. With ESPN getting the marketing rights to eSports coverage and Activision Blizzard launching the Overwatch League, it is quickly becoming one of the most profitable opportunities in the entire sporting industry. In this article, we will be shedding some light on eSports and its prospective future.
Being a relatively new game, a definition may be necessary for eSports, which is a organized, multiplayer video game competitions between professional gamers.
1. Publishers
A lot of publishers have started to launch their own eSports leagues. This is adding further legitimacy to the rise of eSports as an entire industry. Not only is major publisher Activision getting in on the action, but other major publishers are as well including Take-Two Interactive with their 2K Sports league and Electronic Arts with their Fifa eWorld Cup. Major publishers launching their own leagues is really transforming the entire industry and adding further proof that it is here to stay.
2. Developers
Not only are publishers adding their own leagues, but a lot of publishers are pushing developers to fully develop games with the thought of eSports in the big picture. A lot of games nowadays are being fully designed with eSports in mind. Because of this, they are aiming for a more long-term approach when it comes to game development. This has led to the rise of ‘games as a service’ movement. This is where games are meant to last for a significant period of time instead of having annual releases. Instead, developers are designing core games meant to be played for years and years and regularly updated. After all, you cannot consistently launch a brand new game every year and continue to dominate the eSports segment. Thus, it is infiltrating down to developers and the way they make games.
3. Betting
Another big area of growth is the betting segment. There is so much growth and earning potential for all parties involved when it comes to the Rivalry betting aspect of eSports. Much like a lot of the sports that you will find classified as traditional sports, you will be able to bet on different matches and other aspects of the eSports industry. This area is expected to grow substantially as more and more people begin to get into the eSports watching scene.
4. Global
One of the main reasons why eSports has such a huge growth potential is because it offers a global appeal. Unlike some traditional sports that have a hard time tapping into the new global economy, this particular ‘hobby’ has been played globally for years and years. Because video games are a global hobby, many people can relate to it. This has led to a surge in the global audience as it relates to eSports competitions. In fact, the market beyond the USA is actually significantly larger than the USA market itself. Thus, it offers potential that other sports simply do not have. This alone makes it one of the fastest growing sports segments available.
5. Investors
Traditional sports owners and players recognize the investment opportunity in the eSports scene. This is why you are starting to see a lot of influential investors come from the traditional sports industry whether it be NBA owners, NFL owners, MLB owners, or elsewhere. This rise in investor interest is only making the eSports scene that much more legitimate. You can expect to continue to see some of the more prominent investors continue to invest heavily into the eSports industry.
6. Advertisers
Another significant reason why the eSports scene is going to be expected to continue to grow and grow is that of the amount of global appeal it has. Due to the appeal and the audience it has, you can expect to see more and more businesses become interested in advertising on the various platforms available. This alone is going to drive significant growth within the industry.
7. Platforms
Amazon owns Twitch and Google owns YouTube. With both platforms pushing for better streaming quality and with popular YouTubers and Twitch streamers regularly pulling in more viewers than traditional sporting events, you will begin to see them direct even more resources towards each respective platform. This is only going to further drive the interest in competitive gaming and eSports as a whole. The platform push is expected to continue and it is one of the driving factors of the industry. This is especially true considering we are starting to see even traditional cable networks get in on the action.
8. Players
The competition and the players are other factors that are continuing to drive the growth of the industry. As more and more advertisers hop on board, the competitive scene is getting more lucrative. Players in various eSports leagues are starting to get paid more than traditional sports athletes which are only going to drive demand even further. As you start to see more and more competitive players enter the scene, you can only expect the level of competition increase and become that much more fun and rewarding to watch.
Overall, eSports is an industry gaining steam and it is showing no signs of slowing down. It is going to continue to become increasingly popular as time goes on. As more and more influential investors continue to pump money into the industry and as streaming platforms continue to invest heavily in advertising tournaments, you can only expect it to get bigger and bigger. The video gaming industry as a whole is a monster as it is currently outpacing many other entertainment industries.
As more and more developers begin to develop their games with eSports in mind, you can expect there to be more interest among the most competitive players which is going to drive the level of competition and the quality of competition way up. You can tell that people on a global scale love to watch others play video games and compete as seen by the popularity of Amazon’s Twitch platform and Google’s YouTube platform. As each platform invests more into streaming quality and various promotional efforts, the eSports scene will continue to thrive.
