As we all know, the rise of esports worldwide has been quick and exponential. The revenues that esports generate are endless. Esports athletes are being treated as high-profile celebrities as well. They get a lot of sponsorships and a lot of brand deals that increase their annual income again.
Additionally, they even branch out to betting as well, similar to betting in traditional sports, through websites such as the ones listed at https://www.legitgamblingsites.com/online-betting/nfl/.
Even if the world of esports and traditional sports slowly spill into each other, there are still a couple of differences. These differences may divide the people or make them better understand how either category requires the fundamentals of any sport, whether online or in-person.
Differences
Gear
The most important aspect of esports is the gaming setup. Generally, the most optimal setups translate into better gaming performances, contributing to the quickness of developing and improving in-game skills. Constantly upgrading your computer parts, getting the best headsets, and getting used to certain gaming mouses are almost a requirement in this industry.
When it comes to traditional sports, gear doesn’t equal better skill. Basketball players who rock $300 shoes on the court aren’t necessarily going to develop and improve skills quicker than the player with the $50 shoes.
The Internet
Esports athletes and esports competitions generally amass a great number of viewers through live streaming online. They have figured out the perfect balance to monetize the high number of viewership without making people have to pay money to be able to view the stream.
Additionally, Esports athletes have personal live streams, mostly done on the Twitch platform, where people subscribe to their channel, and then they get to watch the player. They spend about a couple of hours playing a certain game combined with some commentary. Additionally, they can reply to comments the viewers send.
Esports Athletes’ career length
Most esports athletes retire from competitive video gaming at an early age. Generally, most of them are only in their early 20s, while some are in their mid-20s. One of the main reasons for early retirement is the physical stress that esports have on their bodies. Players sit on chairs for 9-10 hours a day while staring at a screen for the same amount of time as well. Most of these players don’t have regular sleep schedules as well. The esports world is also very cutthroat, and the turnaround for players is very quick.
A good reason for early retirement is that they have already built their image, popularity, and fanbase. Most esports pros garner a huge following and can monetize their image and channels. They can also score brand deals and sponsorships. These two combined can sustain as their main means of income without giving them as much stress as the tournaments.
Esports career lasts an average of four to five years. When you compare it to traditional sports careers, it is not even half of the professional athletes’ career length. Provided that they don’t experience major injuries, pro athletes have an average career length of 12-15 years.
