The world of esports is expanding dramatically. More people join streaming platforms to both watch and show the world their esports battles. According to Newzoo, experts expect the global games’ live-streaming audience to reach 728.8 million this 2021, signifying a 10% growth compared to 2020.
And the betting industry couldn’t just ignore that snowballing trend. Sportsbooks have added esports betting to their offers, so fans of PC and console games won an opportunity to make money on the content they’re keen on. Moreover, esports betting has become a ‘plan B’ for traditional sports enthusiasts and bettors during COVID-19 lockdowns and postponed sports events.
EURO 2020
The fact is, eFootball is one of the most popular sports video games today. Betting operators have increased the number of esports events on their websites. For instance, the number of ESportsBattle eFootball matches streamed by one of the leading betting operators has increased x3 from December 2020 to June 2021.
But does all of that mean that if sports events come back, esports betting will slow down?
Someone might think that yes, it will. However, it is not that obvious. The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship caused a boost in betting on eFootball events.
According to Statista, during May 2021, 26% would rather be on a gambling website to check odds, bet, or cash out while watching EURO 2020. The number of people placing bets on ESportsBattle’s eFootball events before the EURO 2020 matches were the highest in 2021.
ESportsBattle analysts had witnessed a boom in views and odds placing on eFootball matches between 6 AM to 12 PM UTС. So right before watching UEFA’s EURO 2020, viewers were placing bets on ESportsBattle’s events. The key reason: eFootball betting gives bettors a chance to feel more involved in the whole process, just like they participate in the real championship every day.
The main difference between football and eFootball is that football has seasons. In contrast, eFootball is quite the opposite, it is 24/7 tournaments, constantly updated match formats, favorite players, and gripping competitions featuring well-matched teams.
Of course, during EURO 2020, the interest in eFootball has increased, which shows the correlation between major sporting events and esports tournaments. Traditional sports will always drive the esports industry.
The sports industry is one of the entertaining and recreational types of content that can still draw the attention of millions of viewers concurrently. And indeed, the esports industry appears to be entering an exciting period of its development. But still, traditional sports accumulate more views boosting esports as well.
However, it’s just a matter of time.
