How Much Do You Get Paid For Esports?

A look at how much esports athletes make in prize money, salaries, and sponsorships.

The Different Types of Esports

Esports is a term used to describe competitive video gaming. The first esports tournament took place in 1972 at Stanford University, and today there are multiple tournaments with large prize pools that attract millions of spectators. prize money for esports tournaments is typically awarded to the top teams, with the winning team taking home the lion’s share of the prize pool. However, there are different types of esports, each with their own unique prize structure.

Professional Esports

Professional Esports is a relatively new industry, with the first official tournaments only taking place in the early 2000s. In recent years, however, it has exploded in popularity and is now a multi-million dollar industry.

There are two main types of Professional Esports: League of Legends and Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

League of Legends is a five-player online battle arena game that has been played professionally since 2011. The game is extremely popular, with millions of players worldwide, and there are numerous professional teams and players. The top teams can earn millions of dollars in prize money each year.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive is a first-person shooter game that was released in 2012. It too is extremely popular, with millions of players worldwide, and there are numerous professional teams and players. The top teams can earn millions of dollars in prize money each year.

Collegiate Esports

Collegiate esports is a growing competitive scene in which college students from around the country compete in organized video game tournaments. Many colleges and universities offer esports scholarships, and some even have varsity teams with dedicated coaches and practice facilities.

The most popular games in collegiate esports are League of Legends, Overwatch, and CS:GO, but many schools also field teams for games like Rocket League, Hearthstone, and more.

Collegiate esports has its own governing body, the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), which oversees rules and regulations for competitions as well as player eligibility.

Amateur Esports

Amateur esports is a term used to describe the level of competition below professional and semi-professional. Amateur players are typically not paid to play, although some may receive payment in the form of sponsorship from companies or win prize money from tournaments.

Amateur esports can be found at the collegiate level, with many schools fielding esports teams that compete against other colleges. There are also numerous amateur tournaments held throughout the year, with cash prizes and other prizes up for grabs.

While there is no strict definition of what constitutes an amateur player, it is generally accepted that anyone who is not being paid to play esport is an amateur. This includes players who receive sponsorship from companies, as well as those who win prize money from tournaments.

How Much Do Players Make?

The median income for an esports player is $60,000 annually. The top earners make over $200,000 per year. Most players make between $10,000 and $100,000 per year. A small number of professional gamers make more money than the top earning athletes in traditional sports.

Professional Players

While there are a few exceptions, most professional esports athletes make the majority of their money from tournament winnings, sponsorship deals, and content creation.

Tournament winnings are the most common source of income for professional players. The prize pools for esports tournaments have been growing rapidly in recent years, thanks in part to the massive popularity of games like Fortnite, Overwatch, and Dota 2. For example, the prize pool for the 2018 International Dota 2 Championship was over $25 million dollars. That’s a lot of money that can be divided up among the winning team’s members.

Sponsorship deals are another important source of income for pro players. These deals are often signed with companies that produce gaming equipment or energy drinks. For example, Ninja, one of the most popular Fortnite streamers, has sponsorship deals with Red Bull and LG. These deals are usually based on a certain amount of time spent streaming or playing on social media platforms like Twitch or YouTube.

Content creation is also a major source of income for many professional gamers. This includes creating videos for YouTube or Twitch, as well as writing articles and creating other types of digital content. For example, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins makes around $500,000 dollars per month from his YouTube channel alone. This revenue comes from a combination of ad revenue and sponsorships from brands like Red Bull and Uber Eats.

Collegiate Players

In recent years, there has been a push to have collegiate esports players be recognized and compensated for their efforts as student-athletes. While many forms of compensation are still being debated, there are some basic guarantees that most proposals include:

-Athletic scholarships that cover the cost of tuition, room and board, and other necessary expenses
-Compensation for signing with a school
-Stipends to help with living expenses
-Prize money from tournament winnings
-Revenue sharing from media rights and sponsorships

Amateur Players

Many Amateur Players are students that play for fun and to compete against others of a similar skill level. They don’t usually get paid, but they may receive scholarships from their school or other sponsors. Some of them also live with their parents or other family members, which helps reduce their expenses.

How Much Do Teams Make?

teams that place high in events can expect to bring in a good bit of money. The top prize at The International 2019, for example, was over $34 million. Of course, that money is spread out among the players on the team, with each player getting a share. The amount that each player gets varies from team to team, but it’s not uncommon for each player to take home several thousand dollars per event.

Professional Teams

As with any job, how much you get paid as a professional esports player depends on a number of factors, including your level of experience, your achievements, and the game you play. Generally speaking, however, professional esports players can expect to earn a salary from their team as well as from tournament winnings.

While there is no set salary for professional esports players, the best players in the world can earn millions of dollars per year from salaries, sponsorships, and prize money. The exact amount varies from player to player, but the top earners in esports make more than $1 million annually.

There are a few notable exceptions, however. Some of the biggest names in the industry make significantly more than $1 million per year. For example, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is reported to have earned more than $10 million in 2018 alone thanks to his huge following on streaming platform Twitch.

So how do teams make money? In addition to salaries and tournament winnings, most teams also generate revenue through sponsorships and merchandise sales. For example, popular North American team Cloud9 has partnerships with companies like BMW, Red Bull, and Monster Energy. These deals help cover the costs of operating a professional esports team and allow players to focus on playing the game.

Collegiate Teams

Just like traditional sports, collegiate teams are organized and sponsored by universities. While some of these teams are supported by their school’s athletic department, others are student run. Collegiate teams generally don’t offer their players any sort of salary or stipend, but many do offer scholarship money to help with tuition and other expenses. In some cases, players on collegiate teams are also eligible for prize money from tournaments.

Amateur Teams

As an amateur player, you are not making millions of dollars like the professionals. In fact, you may not be making any money at all playing your favorite game. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still make a living off of esports.

There are a few different options available for those looking to make some money playing their favorite game:1. Tournaments and Leagues – There are many tournaments and leagues that offer prize pools for the top finishing teams. The amount of money available varies widely, but it is not uncommon for amateur teams to win several thousand dollars in prize money.

2. Sponsorships – Many companies are willing to sponsor teams and players in exchange for advertisement. The amount of money offered will depend on the size of the company and how well known the team is. However, even smaller companies can offer a few hundred dollars per month to help cover the cost of things like travel and equipment.

3. Streams and Videos – Some players choose to generate income by streaming their gameplay on platforms like Twitch or Youtube. This can be a very effective way to make money, but it requires a large audience. Players with only a few hundred regular viewers may only make a few dollars per hour from advertisements.

How Much Do Tournaments Make?

Esports is a global phenomenon with fans all over the world. But how much do the tournaments make? This varies depending on the game, the location, the prize pool, and other factors.

Professional Tournaments

Most professional tournaments offer cash prizes to the top-placing teams. The amount of prize money offered varies from tournament to tournament, but the total prize pool for major tournaments can range from a few thousand dollars to over a million. For example, The International, a annual Dota 2 tournament organized by Valve Corporation, has had a prize pool of over $24 million in recent years.

While some smaller tournaments may only offer prize money to the top few teams, most larger tournaments distribute prizes among a larger portion of the field. For example, at The International 2019, the top 18 teams out of a field of 18 earned prize money. The first place team earned $15.6 million, while the last place team still took home $95,068.

Collegiate Tournaments

Collegiate tournaments are becoming more and more popular with the spread of esports. These tournaments are a great way for students to compete against each other and show off their skills. Many of these tournaments offer great prizes, such as scholarships and prize money.

The largest collegiate tournament is the Heroes of the Dorm tournament, which is organized by Blizzard Entertainment. This tournament has a prize pool of over $450,000, and the winning team gets to choose how the money is spent. The Heroes of the Dorm tournament is open to any college student in the United States or Canada who is attending an accredited university.

Other popular collegiate tournaments include the Tespa Collegiate Series, which is organized by Tespa, and the Collegiate StarLeague, which is open to students from anywhere in the world. These two tournaments have prize pools of $100,000 and $250,000 respectively.

Amateur Tournaments

While prize pools for professional tournaments can range into the millions of dollars, amateur tournaments typically have much smaller prize pools. However, this does not mean that amateur tournaments are not worth playing in. Many amateur tournaments have prize pools of a few hundred dollars, which can be a significant amount of money for casual gamers. In addition, many amateur tournaments are sponsored by gaming companies or other organizations, which can add to the prize pool. Finally, many amateur tournaments offer players the chance to win valuable gaming equipment or other prizes, which can be a great incentive for casual gamers.