As technology continues to advance, the world of esports is becoming increasingly popular. But the question remains: will the popularity of esports rival or even surpass that of traditional sports in 2023?
Football or soccer is still watched by billions around the world, and in the US, there are huge viewership numbers for domestic college basketball that dwarf esports numbers. People often take note of March Madness picks and juggle their schedule around games shown on TV – and that’s not even the main professional league!
Today, we will explore the growth of esports and its potential to become bigger than traditional sports. First of all, let’s take a look at the reasons why esports continues to grow.
Increasing accessibility
The widespread availability of high-speed internet and powerful gaming computers has made it easier for people to participate in and watch competitive gaming. This means that more people than ever have access to the games and equipment necessary to compete at a high level, which has led to growth in the number of players and viewers.
Additionally, with the rise of streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, it’s now easier for gamers to broadcast their matches and build a following. In 2020, the global streaming market was valued at $28.5bn and it is projected to reach $70.5bn by 2027. This has also allowed a wider audience to access and enjoy competitive gaming, further increasing the popularity of esports.
Mainstream acceptance
In recent years, major companies and organizations have begun investing in the esports industry, recognising its growth potential. This has led to more sponsorship deals, partnerships and advertising opportunities for competitive gaming. Additionally, traditional sports teams have begun buying and creating their own esports teams, further solidifying the industry’s place in the mainstream. Over 100 traditional sports teams have invested in esports teams and leagues to date. Furthermore, many colleges and universities are now offering scholarships for competitive gaming, recognizing its potential as a legitimate career path. This mainstream acceptance has also given more credibility to the esports industry and helped to increase its popularity.
All these factors combined are making esports more accessible and more mainstream, which is helping to drive its growth and making it a more attractive option for both players and viewers. It is also important to note that the pandemic has accelerated the growth of the industry, as many people were forced to stay at home and look for other forms of entertainment. This led to an increase in the number of players and viewers, and also provided more opportunities for the industry to grow.
However, let’s not underestimate the size of traditional sports. There are still significant hurdles to overcome if esports is to make a dent in the popularity of traditional sports as we will see below.
Viewership numbers
While the popularity of esports is certainly on the rise, the viewership numbers for the most popular events are still significantly lower than those of major traditional sports events such as the Super Bowl or the World Cup. For instance, the most-watched esports event, the Free Fire World Series in 2021, had a peak viewership of 5.4m, compared to the Super Bowl which had a viewership of over 100m. It’s important to note though that esports is a global phenomenon and viewership numbers are high in Asia, where traditional sports have less of a presence.
Niche hobby perception
Despite the increasing mainstream acceptance of esports, many people still view it as a niche hobby rather than a mainstream form of entertainment. This perception may be due to competitive gaming traditionally being associated with a younger, male demographic. However, this perception is changing as an increasing number of people of all ages and genders are participating in and watching competitive gaming. In addition, as the industry continues to grow and attract mainstream attention, this perception is likely to shift as more people become familiar with the concept of esports and major news corporations start to report on it more widely.
It’s worth noting that as the popularity of esports continues to grow and as it becomes more mainstream, the gap between viewership numbers of esports and traditional sports will decrease. As more people start to see esports as a legitimate form of entertainment, the niche hobby perception will also change. Esports is already a multimillion-pound industry and it’s expected to grow in the future, which is a clear indication that the industry is on the way to becoming a mainstream form of entertainment.
