How eSports Has Been a Game Changer Amidst COVID-19 Disruption
By: Naomi Buie
Much like the rest of the world, the sports community is facing an unimaginable shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the postponement of the MLB 2020 regular season to the cancellation of the March Madness basketball tournament, the ban on group play has essentially put sports on an indefinite timeout. The pandemic has forced leagues, players, and fans to swiftly alter their engagement & entertainment methods. Amidst the changes, eSports has leveraged technology to quickly adapt while still creating a sense a connectivity and engaging its community of gamers and viewers. This highlights the advantages of industries that have proactively prioritized technological innovations and interwoven digital media into their fan engagement models and experiences. The key word here being proactively. As traditional sports leagues re-strategize the future of their game play at the mercy of COVID-19, eSports leagues have been able to quickly suit up and get back in the game because their infrastructure heavily leverages our most powerful resource- the internet.
Esports leagues such as League of Legends were gearing up for live competitions in arenas full of thousands of gaming enthusiasts when Coronavirus’ rapid spread forced shutdowns across the world. The gaming world responded by shifting gears and redirecting game play remotely. Overwatch League, like the majority of eSports leagues, canceled live competitions but was able to resume play online for the remainder of its 2020 season. The younger gaming community has not experienced disruptions to the same extent as traditional sports fans because technology has allowed them the liberty to still watch, compete, and interact through virtual gaming platforms. While traditional athletes are benched, gamers are using online and mobile methods to continue training and improving their performance. ESports’ core foundation in the internet and video games have enabled it to address the changing consumption trends of its fanbase and further drive engagement in a way that is enviable to traditional sports entities.
There have been efforts from traditional sports leagues to transform the way the teams and players reach their fans in lieu of live games. The NFL is moving forward with a virtual draft and leveraging its partnership with EA games to explore re-creating draft moments using video game versions of players walking across the virtual stage. Formula one drivers are keeping the spirit of racing alive by entertaining fans using simulation races. Across sports, an increasing number of athletes are turning into gamers and exercising their skills via video games and virtual streaming. Still, eSport is leading as the MVP of sports right now by successfully filling the entertainment void COVID-19 has created without much disruption to fans.
The eSports industry is also using its popularity and influence to encourage social responsibility. The gaming community is known to place high value on brands, companies, products, and partnerships that authentically support issues relevant to its members and right now, COVID is affecting every member of the global community. League of Legends held a day of silence on April 3rd to honor those who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus and to show unity and support for families enduring the daily challenges of the pandemic. Twitch, Amazon’s gaming live streaming platform, witnessed viewership increase exceeding 24% during lockdown periods. As it has done in the past, Twitch is using streaming to support social good. Through its Stream Aid 2020 initiative, Twitch is providing a way for the sports, gaming, and music communities to mobilize and raise funds for charities such as COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. Once again, internet technological advancements such as streaming is enabling sports fans and the global community to respond to the challenges presented by COVID-19.
The learning here is for traditional sports entities which have been crippled by slow adaptation in a digital world to use this time to re-strategize their play book and prioritize technological innovation in their game on and off the field.
