eSports is growing rapidly and a few years ago, very few people would’ve been able to predict where it would be today. People are now realizing that eSports are here to stay and major networks, as well as big business, is starting to pay attention. If you haven’t jumped on the eSports bandwagon yet, here are three facts about eSports that are sure to amaze you.
Players are Treated like Professional Athletes in Some Parts of the World
eSports is very big in parts of Asia where it originated, and some players have reached legendary status in the countries where they live. Some go to events solely to see these players play and will buy merchandise to support them as well.
And like traditional sports, these professional players spend hours and hours practicing, studying tape on their opponents, and trying to find strategies to defeat them. And not only that, just like pro athletes, some famous eSports players have retired due to career-ending injuries as well. Many players ended up quitting the scene after suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, for instance, or tennis elbow or trigger finger injuries. As a matter of fact, the number of eSport and gaming injuries have been on the rise lately, which is often overlooked.
It’s a Worldwide Phenomenon
While the heart and soul of eSports are still in Korea, eSports has spread like wildfire and professional teams can be found all over the globe. Asia still leads the market with over $320 million in revenue while North America comes second at around $100 million. As a matter of fact, at ESL ONE, which is the largest CS:GO tournament in the world, teams from Russia, Sweden, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, USA, and Brazil came to compete.
And with the advent of streaming platforms, people can watch competitions from all over the world as well. As a matter of fact, Twitch subscribers watch over 79 million hours of streaming content from broadcasters every month. According to an article that was featured in Hddmag.Com, the global audience was set to be over 400 million by the end of last year.
It will soon be a 1.2 Billion Market
When you factor in the sponsors, game creators, advertisers, coaches, and sponsors, it’s not difficult to see why this market is so lucrative. But while prize pools account for a huge part of this revenue, most of it comes from sponsors and advertising.
Big players like Coca-Cola have started taking note and have just signed a deal with Riot Games, the company behind the popular game League of Legends, which is one of the biggest games played in eSports tournaments. Companies like Red Bull, Doritos, Microsoft, and YouTube have also claimed a stake in the industry as well.
Conclusion
If you thought eSports was nothing but a fad, I’m pretty sure you now have a clearer view of how big the phenomenon really is. There’s no way to tell where eSports is going, but one thing is for sure, it isn’t going anywhere soon.
