In recent years, e-sports has taken the world by storm. It is, in the simplest of terms, organized gaming competitions featuring both amateur and professional players as they compete as individuals or teams in front of an in-person or virtual audience. As it continues to reach new heights, it is set to surpass the popularity of traditional sports in the coming years. If you are unfamiliar with what e-sports is, however, or how it can impact you, continue reading to familiarize yourself with a number of interesting facts.
- It has undergone explosive growth
If you are unaware of the e-sports industry, it is, more than likely, due to the fact that it has exploded in popularity in the past few years alone. Its beginnings can be traced back to 2014 when the first ever varsity e-sports team was established at Robert Morris University, now a part of Roosevelt University, in Illinois. In less than a decade, it has grown to become a multi-million-dollar per year industry with its sights set on becoming a billion-dollar per year industry in the not-so-distant future. It is also expected to encourage a growing number of fans to transition from traditional modes of sport viewing and participation and jump on board the e-sports train.
- It has attracted substantial investment
As with most major trends, e-sports has attracted substantial investment in recent years from a number of global investors such as Tej Kohli. By familiarizing yourself with Tej Kohli’s blog, it is clear he is in favor of the growing movement and has made his intentions clear by investing €50 million in Rewired GG, an e-sports venture fund that invests in emerging talent within the industry. Another prolific investor that has tapped into the growth and development of e-sports is Jens Hilgers. By investing in a number of e-sports start-ups since 2012, he has paved the way for the e-sports industry to go mainstream on a global scale. Nolan Bushnell, on the other hand, was another early innovator of e-sports and has encouraged a growing number of investors to also get involved.
- It has led to the construction of e-sports arenas
Whilst e-sports tends to remain online, the growing popularity of the movement has led to the construction of e-sports arenas on a global scale. For example, in 2020, the largest purpose-built e-sports arena in the Western Hemisphere began construction in Philadelphia. The Fusion Arena is estimated to cost $50 million to build and will be designed to seat up to 3,500 guests with a wide range of bars, suites, and loge boxes for fans and players on both ends of the financial spectrum. As this trend continues, we can expect to see a growing number of e-sports arenas in the coming years.
If you are unfamiliar with the growing trend of e-sports, it may benefit you to familiarize yourself with a number of key facts. For example, it has undergone explosive growth, it has attracted substantial investment, and it has led to the construction of e-sports arenas in recent years.
