![]() ![]() Another example is F1's transition to bringing their racers to the world's computer screens backed and promoted by the F1 league itself, racing's best stars took to Twitch to compete in a virtual tournament.Ī second trend is the rise of youth and amateurs in esports. The industry may be able to sustain its growth rather than cutting back on projectionsĮven more surprising is that NBA2K games are being broadcasted on television in the place of traditional games. The NBA and its stars are hosting their own competitions and delivering entertaining results for fans of basketball and esports. One trend we've seen is the migration of traditional athletes to online streaming platforms. What's particularly interesting about the esports phenomenon during this time is the crowds and new faces that are flocking to it. The CS:GO Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice attracted one million peak viewers as a digital event ![]() Where other traditional sports see a crisis for their operations, the esports industry must see and react to what is an enormous opportunity as the only sport left standing. ![]() More players means more viewers and audience engagement. Chinese live streaming service Douyu experienced increased viewership of the country's most popular games.Call of Duty: Warzone saw 15 million players in its first three days.This makes it one of the most watched tournaments in the esports history. CS:GO's Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice had a peak viewership reaching more than one million.Steam is seeing a record 20.3 million concurrent gamers.The play-from-home format is what esports was created from in the first place, and the results for viewership in these competitions is booming - Counter-Strike itself has also surged to one million concurrent players.īeyond CS:GO, let's take a look at the numbers breakdown according to Forbes: The nature of competitive gaming allows for more flexibility to meet demand while operating remotely, and many events, leagues, and competitions pivoted towards online participation and viewership - two well-known Counter-Strike: Global Offensive leagues, Flashpoint and ESL Pro League, for example. The esports industry must see and react to what is an enormous opportunity as the only sport left standing While one can appreciate the sentiment, it turns out that esports is proving much more resilient to this crisis than other professional sports, and may be demonstrating the model for weathering a pandemic crisis such as this. Some have pondered that a dive in revenue and tournaments with no audiences would likely destroy the industry's footprint and any chance at legitimizing itself in the big leagues. One article even assumed the cancellation for Apex Legends would be a "final blow" to the game's pro scene. For a brief time, it seemed esports would follow the full suspension model being laid out by the traditional sports. Numerous events have either been cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, including events for DOTA 2, League of Legends, Overwatch, and many more. ![]() As for esports, the impact hit just as hard - especially on those with a physical presence. Throughout the world of professional sports, many traditional leagues such as the NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, and NASCAR shocked the world when they decided to suspend their practices and, in some cases, their leagues. What esports made evident is that in a crisis, it is able to quickly adapt and thrive, while the platforms of old fall behind. This is rightfully applicable to esports as well and the lessons it has taught us over the course of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is something that applies to business and it teaches us that we cannot deny the evolution of tomorrow. Disruption is what moves the needle forward. ![]()
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