eSports is a form of competitive video gaming where real online video gaming players engage in virtual sports contests before live and online spectators. What’s most fascinating about this emerging marketplace is the opportunity for media companies.
eSports offers a new audience platform that media entities can leverage for incremental paths to growth. As with live sporting events, there are leagues, players, and both virtual and physical event venues. It’s a fast-growing audience development and engagement platform that is enhanced by several revenue models that include advertising, sponsorship, tickets and merchandising.
Importantly, the revenue opportunity appears to be real.
Goldman Sachs estimates that while local revenue (e.g., ticketing, concessions, merchandise, regional media rights) generates 54% of revenue for traditional sports, the local component of eSports is, “under-monetized relative to its audience potential.” The fact that major league sports events are facing challenges with audience ratings and that eSports audiences are rising to equal and even exceeding traditional live broadcast audiences reveals the potential scope of the opportunity.
Now, it will be a game of marrying media companies – already experts at developing content and experiences that attract, grow and monetize audiences – with the newfound demand for immersive cross-platform and interactive major league sports experiences to capitalize on an exploding new marketplace.
We’ll dive into eSports on a webinar on April 24th at 2pm EDT with an expert panel that includes:
Eli McCarrel, Director, Brand Partnerships, ESL – Turtle Entertainment
Kasra Jafroodi, Sr. Business Analyst, Strategy & Analytics, Activision Blizzard eSports League
Colan Neese, Gaming, Esports, Twitch
Zach Oscar, Account Manager, MRI-Simmons
Our goal for the webinar is to inform media companies interested in participating in the eSports marketplace. Right now we see opportunities that range from news coverage of eSports events, developing eSports related programs and content packages, targeting eSports enthusiasts and followers, to marketing inside the eSports community via sponsorships or other event, team, or player participation.
Come see what you think. You can register here.
