eSports: What exactly is it?

Naturally, most of the games that participate in these competitions involve a multiplier element, since the main objective of eSports is to interact with other players. There are now so many options available that players can play in many different tournaments and competitions. The key is to play the type of game you enjoy the most or are best at.

Almost all types of games cater to esports and we found that the most popular types were First Person Shooters (FPS), Sports, and MMORPGs. We hope that many more will be added to this list in the near future.

Currently, eSports are mostly consumed and enjoyed by men with 85% of men participating in events. Industry leaders are actively trying to encourage female participation and we think we will see some progress on this as we go into 2017. Additionally, the eSports market generated £258m in 2015 and we expect it to be around £391m by 2016. , which is pretty crazy!

Where can I watch eSports?
It all sounds very exciting, doesn’t it? The industry is anticipated to continue its exponential growth in 2017 and engagement is at an all time high due to the available media platforms. You can watch eSports on so many different platforms and websites. Twitch and YouTube are the most obvious with ESPN and Yahoo also having their own sections dedicated to eSports. Additional sites that you may not have heard of are similar to Twitch and offer some great content. These are Azubu and MLG so check them out for some quality eSports streams.

Such is the growth of esports that traditional sports websites (we used ESPN above as an example) are beginning to offer their content to esports fans. This is very cool and really emphasizes to us how seriously sports broadcasters take the esports industry. Honestly, we may see other media giants like the BBC and Sky getting involved in the future and launching their own eSports brands and content. We really hope to see great developments in 2017.

In general, consumers will consume the eSports product in a way that they feel comfortable with. This could be just for viewing or if you have a game you’re particularly adept at, you might want to enter competitions! Check out the sites we listed above and these will give you a better idea of ​​how you can get involved.

Happy gaming!