E-sports Everywhere
Viewership is comparable to that of the Super Bowl
E-sports, a form of competition through video games, has become almost as popular as traditional sporting events like the Super Bowl. Leagues like the NHL are investing in e-sports, hoping to bring their fans along, and many followers continue to be introduced through Twitch, a video game streaming platform. The online leagues are bringing in big-name sponsors and extending offline, to IRL tournaments, making it clear that e-sports is here to stay.
To consumers in cities on the forefront of technology, like Tokyo and Seoul, the concept of e-sports is not new. In fact, in many markets, it already has significant infrastructure built around it, from dedicated arenas to mega sponsorship deals. Western culture always catches up, it’s just a matter of how soon we can acknowledge and act upon this booming opportunity.
Followed by celebrities like Drake and Ellen DeGeneres, popular Twitch star Tyler Blevins, aka “Ninja,” did play-by-play for a 2018 Thursday Night Football game and became the first e-sports star to land on the cover of ESPN Magazine, further proving the category’s immense crossover potential.
DJ Marshmello hosted the first-ever live virtual concert, which occurred inside the popular Fortnite video game universe, and garnered millions of virtual attendees while breaking digital concert viewing records.
Last summer, following the NBA’s lead, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman declared that “we want to use e-sports to build more interest and a greater connectivity to our game through the hockey video game,” marking his intent for every team to have an e-sports initiative of some kind in 2019.
Online multi-player viewership has exploded over the last year, thanks to platforms like Twitch that allow users to create their own entertainment by watching real-time video games via live stream. Last year, nearly 100 million people watched The League of Legends World Championship — nearly as many people who watched the Super Bowl.
So What’s Going On in 2019?
While it may be uncomfortable to enter such a relatively new space, the brands that try and take risks will be rewarded by a feverishly loyal group of emerging consumers.
The overwhelming growth in this category has caused brands to rethink what constitutes a sport in 2019. The stigma towards gaming is evaporating by the day. Sold-out arenas, full merchandise offerings, stars making eight figures — the proof is all here: the future is now.
E-Sports Everywhere: Where We See It Growing
In 2019 we see e-sports crossing the mainstream entertainment barrier in the U.S. market. Led by initiatives in the NBA and NHL to integrate teams with events, the cultural paradigm is shifting right before our eyes. The acknowledgement period is over, and the acceptance period should be too — this year is about full-fledged adoption. The e-sports industry is expected to eclipse $1 billion in revenue in 2019.
The Opportunity
We’re not just talking about “gamers” here, this is a full-fledged movement. The potential to integrate is becoming just as great as the traditional sports landscape: from sponsorships to merchandise to “star athletes,” the e-sports world is bringing new tribes of individuals together in ways we haven’t seen before across the brand landscape.
