It is a reality that the eSports phenomenon has arrived with great force and has even positioned itself at a very high level despite having been in the market for a very short time. Its growth has been so exponential that many have begun to wonder if eSports can overtake traditional sports.
What is eSport?
Sport and eSport are not just alike by name. These two activities that everything seems to oppose effectively share common values: team spirit and competition and respect. Just like their athletic counterparts, the best teams or best esports players are seen as real stars! They then have a significant impact on young people and sometimes put their notoriety at the service of causes, associations etc. The history of esport began in the late 1990s, early 2000. Some countries, such as the United States and especially South Korea, have been pioneers. Digital consumption is on the rise in all areas, after all, making all forms of digital entertainment more popular.
The answer to all this seems to be yes, since, although the eSports field is very new, today more than 300 million people regularly follow these competitions and the world of video games in general. In fact, in their premature appearance, they have already managed to outperform traditional sports on occasion. In 2017, the League of Legends World Cup final garnered an audience of 75 million viewers, a figure that exceeded the media coverage of the last NBA final.
Yes, it is true, there is a turning point in all this commotion. Where, how or with whom did we find eSports on the front line? We can find the answer in a publication of ESPN magazine, in which it was decided to publish on the cover one of the stars of the world of video games: Tyler ‘Ninja’ Belvins.
At that moment something changed since one of the sports publications with the most name, had decided to give a place to a boy whose sports career had started as a ‘YouTuber’ while broadcasting his Fortnite games. The sports industry is accelerating at a rapid pace. This surge has seen advancements with Unibet too. More and more people are keeping up with watching and betting online.
What to expect?
More down to earth, e-sports players are also in demand by brands. Peripheral manufacturers and other brands recognized in the world of video games are snapping up contracts to equip the greatest players and, therefore, appear to the greatest number. While there is a rise, there is also no sign of traditional sport failing in any area, but in a digitally driven world, there is a sign that football, rugby and other sports will become popular on other platforms. Above all, electronic sport, just like traditional sport, relies on broadcast rights. The past year, the streaming platform Twitch has, for example, spent 90 million US dollars to broadcast the Overwatch league exclusively. For it to truly succeed, there will need to be an even bigger influx of capital.
