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eSports: Has it Reached its Tipping Point?

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/technology/2018/11/21/arlington-goes-esports-transforming-convention-center-10-million-gaming-venue

Esports, or competitive organized video gaming, has seen a meteoric rise in the past few years as streaming services and live events have turned casual gamers into celebrities with massive followings. Top earners can earn seven-figures and big brand endorsements. Competitors form teams and leagues to face off in games that are popular among casual in-home gamers such as Fortnight, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Madden NFL, and many more. Esports tournaments and events draw viewing crowds that rival those of most professional sports games, as evidenced by the 80 million people that viewed the 2017 League of Legends World Championship.

2018 has been a phenomenal year for eSports. Fortnite, a free-to-play battle royale game, released a mobile version in March that became so popular that some schools banned the game. In July, ESPN and Disney XD announced a multi-year deal to broadcast the Overwatch League, an international league with 12 franchises revolving around the titular multiplayer first-person shooter game, amounting to hundreds of hours of live and highlight programming across four major networks. Goldman Sachs published a report in October emphasizing the public and private investment opportunities that will come from the growth of eSports, projecting industry growth to reach $3 billion in total monetization by 2022. Over Thanksgiving weekend, the largest eSports facility opened in Arlington, Texas to a sold-out crowd who spectated a Counter Strike competition.

Until now, eSports didn’t have the resources or infrastructure of more established sports – most competitions in the US have been held in basketball arenas or other large spaces, which is a limitation for the tech-intensive tournaments. Establishing a physical space dedicated solely to eSports is a major win for the industry because it creates a demand to be taken seriously among other more traditional professional sports. I think this move represents a tipping point for the industry, such that the future success and growth of eSports will hinge in some way on the success of the eSports arena. The arena was built because the city saw potential in eSports as a form of entertainment. If the facility continues to sell out seats and becomes the center of important eSports tournaments around the world, I believe eSports will grow in incredibly popular and become a major presence in mainstream media and entertainment.

 

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