Why should traditional sports leagues care about esports?

The esports industry is now beginning to rival the sports industry. Furthermore, it also has some advantages over it, with the biggest one being accessibility. Such rapid growth is unlikely to stop any time soon, however, traditional sports leagues on the other hand can join hands with the esports industry to further grow their own audience and revenue.

If you are still not sure, here are some compelling reasons -

5. Similarities

While the concepts may be different, there are several similarities between esports and traditional sports. There are multiple activities that are similar in both sports- Tournaments, hosts, teams, etc. In a sense, traditional sports and esports are going shoulder to shoulder these days, and people with knowledge and talent have more options.

Many professional athletes coming out as avid gamers. The biggest example is sports simulation games, which are highly popular among gamers and even actual sportsmen due to how good they are. Games like F1, cycling and others also have dedicated esports events. Other games like e-football and basketball also have a sizable player base.

Also Check: What are the top esports games of 2024?

4. Partnership opportunities

The increasing popularity of esports has not only caught the eyes of players and fans but also some of the biggest corporations that are incentivizing through partnerships with esports tournament organizers or teams for brand promotion.

Tradition sports leagues can also join hands with esports for promotion of their own brand and considering the size and popularity of esports now, it might be a great move. Similarly, esports have the same opportunity, allowing both sides to gain exposure and new fans.

3. Growth and Innovation

Unlike traditional sports, changes and innovation are quite common in esports. The developers have the power to change things around to make things more interesting. Furthermore, esports also make use of the internet to generate engagement around a particular event or match.

Many sports teams and players have started to utilize these innovations in the game. These are an efficient way to cut costs. Traditional sports leagues can also use similar ideas and methods to create hype around their tournaments to pull in more viewers.

Also Check: Why are women underrepresented in esports?

2. Audience and Popularity

In terms of popularity, esports is growing day by day and the most affected by this popularity are the young people. While there is still a massive fan base for traditional sports leagues, the new generation is becoming of esports and esports tournaments, especially after it started coming up as a sound option to make a career out of.

Children are looking to get into video games as soon as possible, and the reason for that is because they are fun and easily accessible. Furthermore, the esports tournament is broadcast live and is free to watch most of the time. Traditional sports leagues can also follow the same approach to gain more audience.

1. Revenue Source

The esports industry has featured some of the biggest prize pools. Large-scale tournaments take place every few months, bringing a huge potential revenue generation. However, there is also a lot of competition in the esports space. Esports tournament organizers are on the lookout for the best production among others to have the fans hooked.

Since these events are free to watch, they are filled with sponsors and adverts during rounds and breaks, which makes them money. Traditional sports leagues can also make use of this approach and making use of their huge fan base to earn money through adverts. This will also allow fans to watch sports events without any cost.

Also Check: How to choose the best equipment for esports gaming?