Is Esports Bigger Than Sports?

The world of esports is growing rapidly, with more and more people getting involved in competitive gaming. But is esports bigger than traditional sports? Let’s take a look at the evidence.

Introduction

Since the 1990s, esports have been gradually becoming more and more popular, both within the gaming community and in the mainstream. With the rise of streaming services like Twitch and YouTube Gaming, professional esports leagues and tournaments have begun to spring up all over the world. Today, esports is a multi-million dollar industry, with some tournaments offering prize pools larger than traditional sporting events.

So the question is, just how big is esports compared to traditional sports? Let’s take a look at some numbers.

The Growth of Esports

The global sports industry is worth an estimated $1.3 trillion, and according to some estimates, the esports industry could be worth as much as $1.5 billion by 2020. That’s a pretty big number, but it’s still a fraction of the overall sports industry. So, what’s driving the growth of esports?

The Prize Money

In 2018, the prize money for esports was estimated to be around $869 million USD. This is a significant increase from the $655 million USD in prize money that was up for grabs in 2017. The total prize money for 2019 is expected to exceed $1 billion USD.

This growth is largely due to the growing popularity of esports. In 2019, it is estimated that there are around 467 million viewers of esports, up from 380 million in 2017.

The majority of this prize money comes from large tournaments and events, such as The International (Dota 2), the League of Legends World Championship, and the Fortnite World Cup. These tournaments typically have very large cash prizes, with the winning teams taking home millions of dollars.

The Audience

The audience for esports is growing rapidly. In 2012, the global esports audience was estimated to be around 71 million people. By 2018, that number had grown tookes like Nike
Active gear and Adidas have all gotten involved in the esports space as sponsors or partners of teams and organizations.

Why is Esports so Popular?

Esports has been skyrocketing in popularity in recent years. According to a report by Newzoo, the global esports economy will reach $1.1 billion by the end of 2019, and the audience will number at almost 450 million people. That’s bigger than the audiences of many traditional sports. So, why is esports so popular?

The Games

The games that people play as esports are, for the most part, ones that anyone could play at home. They’re not limited to just first person shooters (FPS) like Call of Duty or Halo, but include a variety of genres like fighting (Mortal Kombat), card games (Hearthstone), and even sports games (NBA 2K). In other words, there’s likely an esport out there for everyone.

While many gamers watch esports because they enjoy the gameplay, there’s also an element of wish fulfillment. For casual fans, it’s fun to see people playing the same games that they do but at an incredibly skilled level. For more dedicated fans, it’s exciting to see pros playing the game how they think it should be played. In a way, it’s similar to how some fans watch traditional sports –- they appreciate the skill and strategy of the athletes.

The Players

Many traditional athletes are now making the switch to esports. For example, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal is an investor in NRG Esports, an organization with teams that compete in League of Legends, Overwatch, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Another well-known athlete, Alex Rodriguez, is also an investor in NRG Esports. traditional sports teams are starting to invest in esports organizations as well. For example, the Houston Rockets own an NBA 2K League team and the Golden State Warriors have an Overwatch team.

The Future of Esports

The esports industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years. More and more people are becoming interested in playing and watching competitive video games. This has led to a rise in the prize money and sponsorship deals available in the esports world. But is esports really bigger than traditional sports? Let’s take a look.

The Olympics

In recent years, esports has grown exponentially in both popularity and prize money. The top esports athletes can now earn millions of dollars per year, and the industry is only getting bigger. With this growth comes increased interest from traditional sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IOC has been monitoring the development of esports and has even hosted events such as the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 Overwatch World Cup. While the IOC has not yet made a decision on whether to include esports in future Olympic Games, it is clear that they are taking the idea seriously.

Inclusion in the Olympics would be a huge boost for esports and would legitimize it as a true sport. However, there are some challenges that need to be addressed before this can happen. Firstly, not all games are created equal. Some games require more physical fitness than others, and some have more of a team-based focus. It would be difficult to create a fair competition if all games were included in the Olympics.

Secondly, there is the issue of drugs and doping. Unlike traditional sports, where athletes are heavily tested for performance-enhancing drugs, there is currently no such testing in esports. This could create an uneven playing field and give an advantage to athletes who are willing to take drugs.

The IOC will need to address these issues before making a final decision on whether to include esports in future Olympic Games. For now, we can only wait and see what they decide.

The Mainstream

The world of esports is on the rise, with more and more people becoming interested in competitive gaming. But is esports really bigger than sports?

There’s no doubt that esports has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. The global esports market is expected to grow from $194 million in 2016 to $696 million by 2021, according to market research firm Newzoo. And it’s not just the professional scene that’s thriving – casual and social gaming is also on the rise.

With so many people playing games and watching esports, it’s no surprise that some are wondering if esports could one day overtake traditional sports in terms of popularity. After all, there are already some similarities between the two – both require skill, strategy and teamwork, and both have a dedicated following of fans.

There are also some key differences between the two. For one, traditional sports have been around for centuries, while esports is still in its infancy. Traditional sports also tend to be more physical than esports, which could be seen as either a positive or a negative depending on your perspective.

It’s impossible to say for sure whether or not esports will one day be bigger than traditional sports. However, with its growing popularity and huge potential for growth, it’s definitely something worth keeping an eye on.