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A few short years ago, the phrase 'eSports’ would only have been recognized by a select cross-section of sports fans. Nowadays, literally millions tune in to watch eSports contests on a daily basis, eager to support their favourite gamers (or teams of gamers) battle it out in a series of leagues and competitions. Indeed, studies suggest 532.8m people regularly watched eSports events throughout 2022, a staggering uplift of 42.6m viewers on the previous year. Furthermore, market experts anticipate that eSports will attract audiences of up to 640.8m by the year 2025.
Marketplace considerations
Despite these impressive statistics, eSports is still substantially behind most conventional sports when it comes to online viewing figures. The widespread introduction of sports streaming services and convenient accessibility of sports content via dedicated apps has ensured this dynamic is unlikely to change in the immediate future, but the recent dramatic rise in the popularity of eSports suggests this may not be the case forever.
Increased audiences has naturally pre-empted revenue growth, with the current eSports industry currently valued at approximately $1.4bn - 18% of this figure is generated by the US market. Within the next six years, revenues are expected to reach almost 5.5bn.
Nevertheless, eSports isn’t the only ‘unconventional’ sports content currently experiencing rising levels of interest, with live streams of casino games also generating huge audiences in recent years. Indeed, there are multiple casino table games online which are frequently beamed out on streaming channels such as Twitch, Periscope, and Vimeo, with poker being a particular favourite amongst the viewing masses.
The attraction of eSports
So, why are more and more people now opting to watch eSports, and prioritizing this activity over accessing coverage of traditional sporting pursuits? There are a number of possible answers (or combination of answers) to this question.
Firstly, as with any sport, it takes time for audiences to be convinced of its merits. This is particularly true in the case of eSports, given the fact it formalized and subsequently professionalized a pastime that was traditionally seen as a form of entertainment, as opposed to a serious sporting endeavour. As soon as the eSports movement navigated this particular challenge, it opened the floodgates to a much larger (and previously sceptical) group of viewers. Furthermore, as a consequence of the huge prize pots on offer, clashes between rival eSports players and teams are often extremely competitive, and therefore keep audiences engaged throughout their duration.
Its also true that many viewers will feel as if they can directly relate to the experiences of the players on-screen, and really immerse themselves in the action; after all, the games being streamed at official eSports events are the same as those being played by spectators on their own consoles at home. This creates a unique connection between the audience and the content they’re watching - it's unlikely that many other sports (if any), could profess to having such a large portion of its viewership so acutely tapped in to the challenges faced by professional competitors.
The phrase ‘armchair fan’ is scarcely used in the world of eSports…….
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