Over the past few years, more and more people have come to hear about a new breed of sports known as eSports or competitive gaming. Like traditional sports, participants battle it out in order to try and reign victorious but rather than using sports equipment the battle takes place using computer screens. Competitive gaming tournaments such as DotA2 have made a number of young people–some still in their teens–very rich because of their skill and determination, and huge numbers of people are now flocking to stadiums or going online to watch these competitive gaming tournaments.
In fact, former NBA player Rick Fox has recently predicted that eSports is set to continue growing in popularity and he believes that it will overtake the National Hockey League to become the fourth major sport in the United States. He said that this is something that could happen in as little as two years, as more and more people develop an interest in participating in or watching eSports.
A growing fan base
Some people may question whether eSports can actually be considered sports at all but there is no denying that competitive gaming has already been enjoying huge popularity. People are winning big money and medals for their success at competitive gaming events and there is no shortage of fans. Games such as League of Legends, Call of Duty and Starcraft 2 are among those that attract talented players and diehard fans.
There are many people who enjoy having a flutter on traditional sporting events such as racing, football, basketball, and others. However, the increased interest in competitive gaming has been reflected in the number of people who now want to place bets on competitive gaming events. Betting sites such as Betway now offer the opportunity to bet on a range of eSports event, which means that both fans and players can look forward to the chance of making money from the growing eSports industry.
The popularity of this sport has been rising for several years now. For example, back in 2013 the League of Legends World Championship attracted more than 30 million viewers online, which was more than twice the number of people who turned in for the World Series of baseball. Computer games industry group Newzoo has estimated that revenue from competitive gaming will rise to around $465 million by 2017 compared to $130 million in 2012.
With channels like ESPN now broadcasting some of these events, sites like Betway supporting eSports betting, and media coverage of competitive gaming tournaments on the rise, there is little doubt that eSports is set to enjoy a very successful future in countries around the globe.
