Esports: A Growing Industry
In the beginning, many observers considered esports to be closed off to the outside world. A place where introverts and socially inept men connect and interact. As the years pass by, it can be seen that esports is no longer such a niche scene. With esports expected to grow from $696 million in 2017 to $1.5 billion by 2020 (NewZoo), it is, and will continue to be, one of the most diverse and successful industries in the entertainment market.
Primarily, the gender gap has been shrinking dramatically as esports evolves. Additionally, many of the people who play video games seek to earn money by playing. Moreover, the professional scene is not just a fad. Just like traditional esports, it not only requires people to build, fund, and legalize a team, but also to create the competitions that millions of fans watch and interact with.
Esports started with a predominately male audience. However, it’s audience has been growing and diversifying. About 70% of Minecraft fans are female, 51% for Call of Duty fans, 55% for League of Legends, and 25% for CS:GO. (Dean Takahashi). There’s still a long way to go, but the statistics are improving.
Many fans in esports are interested in getting paid for their hobby. In League of Legends, nearly four out of five people who were surveyed aspire to become a professional gamer or streamer (Peanut Labs). With the internet, that is no longer something that’s reserved solely for the top 1% of players. Many players who are adept at the game — but not yet professionals — can seek tournaments from companies such as FirstBlood or stream on Twitch.tv to earn money themselves.
Just like traditional sport companies, esports companies invest lots of money into this industry. Some examples include venues, merchandise, and entertainment during the tournaments. The people working — shoutcasters, analyst desk members, and interviewers — are also professionals and play integral parts in ensuring the smooth sailing of every tournament.
In the short time that esports has been around, it has garnered a huge following worldwide and will undoubtedly continue to become even larger.
