Finance outlet The Street has published a story on a recent report from Goldman Sachs on esports, speculating that the massive growth in that space is only a small hint at what’s to come. While recent analysis have marked the esports space at around 167 million people watching per month, Goldman Sachs thinks that number will grow to 300 million by 2022, becoming a true rival of the NFL.
Goldman Sachs attributes this possible growth to “the immense popularity of survival-based games like Fortnite, growing prize pools for esports tournaments, the rise of live-streaming, and improving infrastructure for pro leagues.” You can look at the structures of the Overwatch League and NBA 2K League for contemporary evidence.
These leagues, which also includes Riot Games’ League of Legends leagues, combined with major investments from sources like Tencent, are helping significantly with the financial side. Because of that, Sachs’ report states that esports will be able to “finally close the demonitization gap relative to other established sports leagues.”
Esports is moving more and more into the mainstream. TV deals with Disney, for example, are expanding, and Epic Games famously announced $100 million in prize pool money for the first year of official Fortnite tournaments. Goldman Sachs believes that movement alone will lead to a 14% growth in the next five years.
There is plenty of room for esports to grow. Data in The Street’s piece states that there are more than 2.2 billion active gamers, and only 5% currently are engaged with esports.
Zarmena Khan
I personally don't watch or am interested in esports but its popularity can't be undermined. For Honor is the latest to take the plunge and many years ago, I wouldn't really have imagined a game of this sort taking off on the pro scene. I personally don't take an interest because I'm probably the least competitive player there is. I'll occasionally watch a match or two but that's about it. I don't actively follow but there are many who do.
Alex Co
I admit, I'm not a fan of eSports or any "competitive" gaming of any kind. I do watch entertaining YouTubers do weapon breakdowns, montages, but that's it. Actual matches lasting hours? Nah, not my thing.
Stephen Bitto
I'm not personally interested in eSports but I'm glad that they've grown popular enough to get mainstream recognition. It's good for gamers to have the competitive side of their hobby legitimized by ESPN and other networks.
Michael Briers
My younger brother is big into League of Legends so it's only through him that I have a small interest in the eSports scene. I think it's great, honestly. But for me, I'd much rather play a game myself than sit back and watch others do so.
Martin Patiño
I'm a big fan of esports and have worked in a variety of roles both in esports production and media. I've also competed as an amateur player in several scenes including FPS, MOBAs, and the FGC. I think the rise of esports has given individuals who have the talent, skills, and discipline to be at the top of the heap an opportunity to find a career that's both legitimately recognized and financially lucrative. Esports is still a long way from reaching the financial heights of traditional sports like basketball and football but the esports audience has grown enough to compete with that of traditional sports, especially during events like the LoL World Championships and The International (Dota 2).
Chandler Wood
I find esports to be fascinating. Competitive gaming can get extremely intense, with commentary and incredible players that can play games unlike anyone else. It's like a high school athlete watching a pro play, something they can only aspire to one day become. As fascinated as I am by esports, it's more of a passing fancy, and not something I devote any sort of time or energy into observing myself. I'm too busy hunting those Platinum trophies!
Mack Ashworth
I often tune into a competitive match, as I like to watch and learn from the pros. This is mostly for shooters, as that's what I play. You can learn some great strategies by watching the best of the best.
[Source: The Street]
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