The rise of eSports has been nothing short of remarkable. Right now, eSports tournaments and events are competing viewer wise with the likes of the Super Bowl and other huge, more traditional sporting events. Now eSports is a spectator sport in its own right and a huge one at that. It’s growing rapidly in popularity and has so far seen millions of pounds given out in prize money, with brands and other e-commerce companies starting to take serious notice.
So eSports in its simplest terms is competitive video gaming. Its real beauty is the fact that not only do the actual games and gameplay make eSports what it is but so do those competing, be it individuals or teams. This is where the real e-commerce opportunities are for brands to take advantage of. The players, teams, competitions and leagues allow companies and organisations to get their name out there in association with the booming eSports industry. With over 150 million viewers worldwide, it’s a very appealing proposition for a lot of brands and e-commerce specialists around the globe; which even includes sports betting operators.
Streaming platform Twitch is the home of eSports, with viewing figures in the millions on a daily basis. It leads the likes of YouTube when it comes to peak Internet traffic and only finds itself behind the likes of Google and Netflix. What Twitch does is present broadcasters the opportunity to stream live. This is a great way for eSports individuals, teams and companies to get noticed but not only that, the sponsors and brands behind them. Broadcasters, otherwise known as streamers, regularly advertise the merchandise of those sponsoring them, displaying company logos and web addresses. This can only be a good thing for their backers, especially with the number of viewers present in the most popular streams.
Social media is also huge when it comes to eSports, especially with the individuals and teams involved. The typical eSports backers tend to have their company name displayed on the timelines of the players and teams that they’re connected to, with regular advertisements seen which will help drive interest and traffic to the desired source. Already the likes of Coca-Cola, Red Bull and ESPN have become heavily involved in the eSports world, with many others set to follow suit as it’s plain to see just how great of an opportunity this buzz is and will continue to be for many years going forward.
Some people may not see it as a real sport but now even sports betting operators like Unibet, have started running books on eSports tournaments and events on a regular basis, some even daily. Counter Strike, Dota 2 and League of Legends are extremely popular eSports games, with leagues and championships a regular occurrence. The fact that you can now place bets on the outcomes says a lot about just how far eSports has come as an industry and that it’s very serious and not just people gaming as a hobby or for a bit of fun.
