There’s been a big buzz around Esports in the past few years that just keep’s on growing! With games like League of Legends, Dota 2, CSGO & Fortnite among many others, selling out stadiums across the world and handing out prize pools in the millions!
Clearly there was something going on here, so we decided to take a look at what all the fuss is about and maybe even step into it ourselves.
How big IS ESPORTS ANYWAY ?
Well, two studies done back in 2019 & 2021 shed some light on that question with staggering results! Split by age group a study was taken globally to find out how many internet users were watching Esports. It came back that around 30% of 16-34 year olds said they had recently watched an Esport event. It also showed that the views only start declining at the 35+ category.
Then, in 2021 a study showed that between 2019 and 2021, Esports had an audience of roughly 197-234 Million enthusiasts. In the same time span there was roughly 200-240 Million occasional viewers!
Showing that there is a growing interest even from a casual and/or new fans perspective.
The study also shows a predicted growth to nearly 600 million combined viewers through to 2024. So I think it’s safe to say that Esports is already huge but isn’t close to its peak just yet.
Is there more than just view's though ?
Definitely! whilst Its clear that viewership is very strong, the growth and income speak for themselves too, especially in the East, with countries like South Korea & China being crowned the kings of Esports in many games across the board the money has always been huge there.
The East being on top for so long has definitely inspired western regions like Europe & North America to spend massive amounts of money to chase that same level of success.
Just like traditional sports, teams have to spend money to make money, with million’s being spent on players, equipment and facilities every year.
Its a pricey process getting into modern Esports, but the pay off is easy to see with organisations like TSM (Valued at $410 Million), Cloud9 (Valued at $350 Million) & Team Liquid (Valued at $310 Million) climbing the forbs list. (And that’s just in North America!)
Its clear there’s more to be gained here than just playing games and getting views, and teams that spotted that early and capitalised on it are definitely reaping the benefits.
eSPORTS AND YOU!
So we’ve established that there is already a market for watching Esports, but not everyone can be an Esports player… Right ?
You might be surprised to find that Esports is actually a lot like traditional sports, while only a select few can reach the professional level, that doesn’t stop you from playing at a casual or even amateur level!
Most games have communities that have actually cultivated and built there own amateur scenes, from Belong Gaming’s larger Arena Clash, to smaller communities who build and run leagues like Valanth’s League, Red Gaming and The Esports Company to name a few, filled with players of all skill levels, all competing just like the pro’s! (Sometimes even for money!)
Chu Lo Esports!
Games and the people who play them are a huge part of our brand and community, so we wanted to give our community something to route for too!
With that in mind, we have joined companies like “Esports Scrim” & “ProComps.gg” in sponsoring an up and coming Amateur League “Valanth’s League” There community driven, ever growing league seems to be taking the amateur League of Legends scene in the right direction!
Beyond just sponsoring Valanth’s League, our Community Manager Jamie, who is a long standing member of Valanth’s League and a two time division winner, is looking to field a ChuLo team to compete there, we can’t wait to see how it will play out and hope you’re all there for the ride!
Player , Viewer , Gamer!
So whether you’re a player looking to get into Esports, a casual or hardcore viewer of all things gaming, or just a Chu Lo fan; there’s plenty of opportunity and fun to be had out there in this exciting time!
And! in all this excitement there’s no reason to be left thirsty and out of energy! So get yourselves to the store page and pick up some Caffeine free, Low sugar drinks to make your day even more exciting!
Sour Up! with our Authentic Japanese sour fizz!
Join our Discord and be apart of Chu Lo’s gaming community.
You can also follow us on Twitch where we do watch alongs, food and drink, Q&A and Gaming Streams!!
Source’s and Links.
