Esports, have exploded in popularity over the past decade, becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry. With an ever-growing fanbase, esports tournaments and leagues now draw in huge audiences, both online and in-person, offering lucrative prize pools for top performers.
Perhaps another booming industry that’s akin to that of esports entertainment is the online gambling sector. Just like its esports counterpart, this industry has experienced exponential growth that has reached revenues just as great. Some of the top-ranking online casinos offering US no deposit bonuses to players have managed to rake in millions upon millions in profits.
As esports continues to dominate headlines and peak people’s interest we thought we’d give you a quick deep dive into the latest trends, fun facts, and interesting statistics. Keep reading on to find out more.
1. Almost Any Game Can Be An Esport
From multiplayer online battle arena games like League of Legends to first-person shooter games like Halo and even strategy games like Hearthstone, esports athletes can compete in almost any game if enough people are playing competitively.
For a game to take off within the industry, not only does it need to be fun but it also has to have a compelling gaming experience that keeps players coming back for more. Additionally, the game needs to be able to draw in viewership while fighting games are the ultimate spectator sport, other games need to try a little harder to grasp viewers’ attention.
2. $40 Million Prize Pool
Unfortunately, not all esports are equally lucrative with each game tournament drawing in varying levels of viewers and prize pools. Dota’s The International 2021 event gave out the largest prize pool in esports history, with Team Spirit earning a whopping $40,018,400. The event continues to be regarded as the most lucrative esports series by a substantial margin.
3. 1bn Esports Sponsorship Market
Thanks to the growing viewership of esports, players do not need to rely solely on tournament prize pools to generate income. Due to the growing popularity within the industry, brands like Coca-Cola have recognized the marketing potential, adopting a similar approach to women in sports. In fact, after already reaching 895 million in 2023, esports sponsorship and advertising revenues are on track to 1.05bn by 2025.
4. Esports Hall of Fame
The Esports Hall of Fame was established in 2016 by the esports company ESL. It is similar to a traditional sports hall of fame and honors esports athletes for their outstanding achievements, contributions, and overall impact on the community. The Esports Hall of Fame has inducted more than 70 individuals well-known figures such as Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and Carlos “ocelote” Rodriguez, as of 2021.
5. Esports Players Are Athletes
According to U.S. legislation, esports pro gamers are recognized as athletes. While these players might not be working on their speed and strength, they are dedicating time to hone their skills and perfect their gameplay with their team members. Just like traditional athletes, esports athletes are encouraged to follow strict diets and sleeping regimes to minimize the chances of injuries before or after the game.
6. First Official Esports Channel
The demand to see esports competitions in action called for the finally receive the recognition it deserves by getting its own official broadcasting channel. Thanks to GInx Esports TV, viewers are able to witness all the exciting esports action and news broadcast 24/7. The channel offers a great opportunity to bridge the digital divide by introducing a new wave of followers to the sport who might not have been able to access it previously.
7. No Age Limit to Compete
That’s right, esports is truly for everyone no matter the age, with the youngest ever esports professional getting his start at just 6 years old. Kids of all ages are encouraged to take part, improve their skills and maybe earn a little cash. Just last year, 17-year-old Kyle Giersdorf won a $3 million dollar payout from the Fortnite World cup.
8. Global Esports Revenue
This booming industry is showing no signs of slowing down with brands finally recognizing the potential of large and engaged audiences. Their investments in esports marketing both directly and indirectly have contributed to the industry’s projected growth from $1.44 billion in 2022 to $5.48 billion by 2029.
9. First Esports Event
Many often wonder when the start of esports truly began with very few tracing it back to 1972, when Standford University held the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics for the game, Spacewar, on the PDP-1 computer.
Arguably the first-ever esports tournament, it was divided into three categories Free for all, Team Competition, and Single Competition. The competition saw Bruce Baumgart secure the final first esports prize, a year’s subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.
10. Daigo “The Beast” Umehara’s Impressive Track Record
Daigo “The Beast” Umehara rose to prominence in the early 2000s and is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighting game players of all time. Hailing from Japan, Daigo has won
six Evo titles and two Guinness World Records over his two-decade career. One for the “Most Consecutive Tournament Wins” which currently stands at 15 and another which he shares with Justin Wong for the “Most Viewed Fighting Videogame.”
11. Celebrity Investors
You know you’ve made it when celebrities are all eager to invest in your industry. The popularity of esports in recent years has attracted the attention of many high-profile names from Steph Curry and Magic Johnson to musicians like Drake, all along with other investors infusing around $3.3 billion since 2013.
12. Oldest Counter Strike Team
Didn’t we mention that there are no age limits when it comes to esports? Well, this Counter Strike team hailing from Sweden, took up the challenge. They formed a team composed of five senior citizens with an age range from 68 to 78 years old and have already bagged the Seniors World Cup beating countries Finland, the USA, and Germany.
13. Viewership Growth
The celebrity endorsement of the esports industry has helped attract more attention, with viewership expected to climb to 34.8 million in 2026. The most viewed event in esports history was the League of Len World Championship 2020 with attracted around 3.8 million viewers globally. With this increase comes the possibility of increased revenue and more opportunities for esports players.
14. Virtual Reality Expansion
Virtual Reality has been making waves within the gaming industry for a number of years however it has yet to take esports by storm. Players won’t have to wait too long as industry experts project VR to be one of the latest trends to take over the community opening up a whole of possibilities in competitive gaming.
15. 5G Network Inclusion
Definitely, the most exciting emerging trend has to be the advent of 5G which will bring about increased connection speeds for users, with raw speeds reaching 10 Gbps, almost 10 times faster than 4G. This will reduce frustrating lags or lapses esports players often face when playing online A higher connection speed also means that eSports tournaments and competitions will be broadcast live in high definition.
