Esports: Getting Started

First things first… what are esports?

Esports (short for electronic sports) typically describe organized competitive online gaming. The way esport tournaments are hosted and organized and how professional teams sign players are often comparable to professional traditional sports such as basketball or soccer. The way esports are played is also similar to how traditional sports are played as well, with two opposing teams of players competing against one another to either score points/rounds or to destroy the enemy’s base first.

Let’s cover some game genres that are usually encompassed by the term “esports”.

Esports tends to cover a wide variety of games due to the amount of possible competitive games on the video game market, but some of the most popular and longest-running esports titles generally include games from the MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), FPS (first-person shooter), real-time strategy and fighting game genres. The list of esports titles is always evolving and changing with the player base, something that separates esports from traditional sports. Most esports titles have continuous updates and gameplay changes to keep the game fresh, interesting, and keeping players hooked on new gameplay. To learn more about current esports titles, check out our Notion to read about a few popular esports titles dominating the industry right now.

Esports is booming

Hundreds of cities across the globe have witnessed the cultural phenomenon of esports and many are dedicating their time and resources into becoming the next esports hub, constructing million dollar arenas to attract the best esports teams around the globe to live in their cities and to practice their craft in state-of-the-art esports stadiums.

Are esports important?

According to Forbes, in 2020 1.955 billion people were aware of esports and esports reached 495 million viewers worldwide. Of those 495 million viewers, 223 million are defined as frequent viewers or esports enthusiasts and 272 million are occasional viewers. In a study conducted in the US, in the age 18-34 category, League of Legends is now the third most popular professional sport after the NBA and NFL. What do these statistics mean, you ask? Well, it means esports is a pretty big deal and companies all over the globe are trying to grab a piece of the esports pie. Hundreds of companies not even remotely related to esports are looking to sponsor teams and organizations to get their branding out there just like any other sports sponsorship would work. Although, esport jerseys may be easier to spot brand logos and sponsorships on due to many esports arenas offering face cams of players that are projected onto millions of screens worldwide.

Esports has exploded into a million-dollar industry, with Newzoo expecting revenue to surpass $1 billion in 2021 due to the immense growth in media and live streaming market which has prompted more advertisers to seek out sponsorships with many professional players and streamers.

Where does all this money come from?

Money in esports comes from many different avenues, from tournament ticket sales, game sales, tournament winnings and big-name sponsorships. Overwatch, a popular first-person shooter game, brought in over $565 million in sales by the end of its release year alone. Many developers of popular esports titles also choose to host their own tournaments, increasing potential revenue through sponsorships, ticket sales and ad revenue through streaming services. These tournaments also tend to boast large prize pools for tournament winners. In 2018, DOTA 2’s Championships highlighted a $25 million dollar prize pool, and Fortnite’s 2019 World Cup had a prize pool of over $30 million, with winnings split amongst the top contenders.

The top professional players of most major esports titles can easily bring in six-figure or even seven-figure incomes thanks to the millions of dollars in not only prize money, but also sponsorships. Most professional players live stream their gameplay on platforms such as Twitch which brings more ways for these players to make money. Services such as Twitch offer a tipping function so viewers can donate to a streamer, a monthly stream “subscription” feature, and advertisements for streamers to bring in ad revenue.

Now that you’re familiar with esports…

Be sure to check out FC Gaming, a new esports brand from Fair Chance Learning. FC Gaming aims to bring esports to schools across Canada, beginning with introducing educators to esports and why they’ll become important in the future.