eSports: the sport of the digital generation

eSports is the sport of the digital generation. From its former niche existence, digital sports have long since developed into a mass phenomenon, watched daily by an audience of millions via livestream or in sold-out stadiums. The players of the biggest eSports titles, League of Legends, DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, enjoy a status in many places that is otherwise reserved for the biggest football stars.

For sports professionals and sports companies, entering this promising market is crucial. ISPO.com reports on all the information from the world of eSports in news, reports, interviews and guides.

The term eSports refers to competition in various video and computer games. Two or more competitors from different teams or leagues duel in a game. The participating athletes are called gamers. To become a professional gamer, usually years of hard training must be completed. The competitions are followed by millions of fans by attending live events or watching broadcasts on television or online. Especially streaming services like Twitch enjoy great popularity. eSports is international and can be played around the clock by people from all over the world.

*Multiplayer Online Battle Area

eSports have been around since the middle of the 20th century. Already in the 1950s there were games like chess, OXO, Tic-Tac-Toe or the Nim game for the computer. The very first real computer game is usually called Tennis for Two, developed by the American William Higinbotham. Pong was the name of the game that was the first to celebrate international success. Like current video games, most of these games were already designed for competition.In 1980 the first video game tournament took place. It lasted three months and was watched by more than 10,000 participants. Two years later, the Twin Galaxies National Scoreboard was released, a high score list by Walter Day with more than 100 different arcade games. This was the basis for the first professional video game team from America. Then in 1984, the first World Championship was held, with teams from Japan, USA, Italy and the UK competing.

At the end of the 90s, major nation-independent eSports leagues were established for the first time. During this time eSports teams were founded, some of which are still present today. First and foremost the German SK Gaming or the British 4Kings. Other well-known eSports organizations from Europe are mousesports and fnatic. They are still fighting at the top in some disciplines.The first World Cyber Games were held in Seoul in 2000. In 2003, the first Electronic Sports World Cup was held in France. the first Electronic Sports World Cup was held in France. Until today this tournament takes place once a year in Poitiers. In 2005, the CPL World Tour took place, where a prize money of 1,000,000 dollars was played for. Two years later, the Championship Gaming Series was held for the first time, where gamers played for $1,000,000 and received a salary of $5,000,000. The industry continued to evolve and gain more and more followers. In 2013, the League of Legends final was watched by over 10,000 fans and was completely sold out within an hour.

Successful eSports players are the superstars of a new generation. Not only do successful athletes earn millions in prize money in numerous tournaments. The social media reach of the stars is comparable to that of professional footballers and top athletes. On platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, the biggest eSports stars reach millions of people every day in livestreams. At the same time, the number of players who are able to make a living from their profession continues to rise. There are over 30,000 professional athletes worldwide in the five biggest eSports titles alone (Counter Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Fortnite, Dota 2, Overwatch) combined.

Over the past decade, eSports has been growing in popularity. Especially thanks to the popularization through the streaming platform Twitch, more and more fans have started to actively follow esports events. The growth is increasing every year and there is no end in sight. The increase in viewership has gone hand in hand with a massive increase in prize money on offer. In 2019 alone, more than $235 million was awarded in over 5,400 tournaments. In comparison, Esports earnings in 2012 were just $13.8 million.

The eSports market is growing and growing. The trend is going steeply upwards. While the global turnover of the eSports market in 2020 was still 947 million US dollars, the billion dollar mark is expected to be reached this year. For the year 2024, revenues of 1.61 billion dollars are predicted. This growth, of course, presents numerous opportunities for companies and clubs looking to capitalize on this new market. Merchandising & ticket sales, sponsorship, media rights, streaming, new leagues and products. These are just a few of the new, potential sources of revenue.