Esports Filling the Void Left by Suspended Mainstream Sports

Amid canceled sports, eSports are providing an essential service to millions of fans desperate for sports entertainment. In some countries, video game tournaments are attracting as many as ten million viewers.

Does that mean eSport will soon become the biggest sport in the world? That’s a tad ambitious. But with the present state of things, video games are the primary source of sporting entertainment for millions of people.

eSports Usage up by 75%

Online gaming is up by 75% since the start of March according to research firm Verizon. By comparison, regular video streaming is up by 12% while general web usage has spiked by 205 in the same period.

Verizon official Kyle Malady links the rise in web traffic usage to more people working or schooling from home. On the flip side, she related the rise of online gaming to the reduced number of alternative sports and entertainment events.

Verizon—and many eSports experts—expect online gaming to continue snowballing for the next several months. The majority of people in the world are spending most of their time at home and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future after all.

More Than an Industry for the Young

For a long time, millennials have been the poster children for what video game fans look like. Indeed, the average gamer in 2020 is 34 years old. However, the demographic is constantly changing, especially now that all sports fans are desperate for action.

The latest data from analytical firm Statista shows that the present demographic of video game fans includes players of all age groups. Young players aged 18-35 years makeup 40% of the industry. Fans below 18 years makeup 21% while older players of 36-49 and 50 years and above contribute 18% and 21% respectively.

Despite age differences, however, there’s a unifying factor among all the people turning into eSports fans. They share a passion for video games and spend a significant amount of their time playing or viewing video game streams.

Multiple Brands Showing Interest

When you think about it, Coca Cola, BMW, YouTube and Toyota don’t spend millions in sponsorships unless they can get value back. And so far, more than a dozen companies from around the world have been partnering with eSports organizations left, right and center.

Similar to traditional mainstream sports, brands are partnering with all major stakeholders in the industry. BMW, for example, has a partnership with the popular team Cloud9. Red Bull, on the other hand, has a deal with famous streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins.

Some companies like Mercedes and Toyota prefer to partner with event organizers. That way, they can showcase countless adverts during competitions to the millions of fans who might be watching.

Sports Bettors a Boon for the Sector

If there’s one sport benefitting from the lack of traditional sports on TV, it’s eSports. It’s predominantly the most available sport on sites that support betting on eSports. Sure, some companies are also letting people wager on marble races, Belarusian football and Ukrainian table tennis.

But nearly every bookmaker in business is prioritizing video game competitions. And in doing so, millions of punters who live and breathe betting are forced to watch and follow all manner of video game tournaments.

Crucially, eSports provide a diverse range of games that suit every bettor’s needs and interests. People that love traditional sports, for example, can choose to focus on simulation games like FIFA20, NBA2K and Madden Football.

On the flip side, new video game fans who are open to learning about the industry in general can select of any of these games:

• League of Legends
• Dota 2
• Counter Strike: Global Offensive
• Rocket League
• StarCraft II
• Call of Duty
• Mortal Kombat

Regardless of the game chosen, however, betting fans can attest that wagering on eSport is pretty close to predicting traditional sports. You can bet on who wins the game, totals, spreads and correct scores. There might be differences in the specific betting outcomes but the learning curve is brief.

Online Borderless Communities

Contrary to popular belief, eSports communities are also affected by the ongoing government lockdowns. However, they have the benefit of being able to stream all their tournaments online.

As such, all events previously scheduled to take place at physical locations have been re-scheduled to take place online. That said, eSports is aptly designed to attract fans from all over the world.

For starters, everyone with access the Internet can watch any tournament they want from the comfort of their homes. From the Fortnite and Overwatch World Cup to Evo and Rocket League Championships, eSports fans will have access to all these competitions.

Mobile Device Helping Elevate eSports

Mobile gaming is on the rise, particularly now that many people are stuck at home. People who can’t afford expensive gaming machines, especially are spending a lot of time on their devices streaming and playing multiple games.

Luckily, today’s mobile games are everything everyone wished for a decade ago. They have high-quality graphics, fully-developed storylines and gameplay that matches their PC counterparts.

In fact, many successful PC and console games have mobile versions targeting the two billion strong mobile gaming industry. From Fortnite and PUBG to FIFA20 and NBA 2k, all your favorite PC games are probably on smartphones as well.

Freely Available

Unlike the NBA, NFL and the Premier League, you can watch plenty of top-tier eSports games free of charge. All you need is a smartphone or laptop with stable access to the Internet.

That ease of accessibility if playing a major role in turning millions of people into video game fans. You can just create an account on Twitch and watch the most talented players showcase their skills for free.

Or you can download free to play games and get a test of what it means to simulate football, basketball or action games. The best part about it is that it’s not just small franchise games that are free.

Nearly all popular video games come free of charge even though they might have paid subscriptions for willing players.