Esports Viewing Experience (for Novices and Experts) is Critical to Growth
Esports are booming, and the way it keeps rising is with successful brand integrations and television/streaming. To that end, you'll be seeing more Rocket League on TBS (and Twitch and YouTube) and the emergence of the digital athlete-as-celebrity. But the future of esports will demand further organization, too. Some industry experts believe the calendar is the next big hurdle for it to jump, while Red Bull recently discussed how critical it is to make each individual esport a successful spectator event (and how to do that).Your full rundown of esports business happenings are below. See anything else we need to include? Let us know. Esports: Is the Gaming Business Ready to Come of Age? [Financial Times]This assertion, though questioned by some broadcasters and sports promoters, comes with potentially huge commercial implications. The global games industry, according to several forecasts, is on course to exceed $100bn in annual revenues this year and it continues to grow faster than the broader entertainment sector. And while esports currently lacks a comprehensive business model, there are many who believe its commercial trajectory is primed to surprise — especially if mainstream broadcasters come to see esports content as an asset that can lure viewers back from their smartphones and PCs.Why Spectating Can Make or Break a New Esport [Red Bull]League of Legends is one of the most successful esports at the moment, with a strong competitive scene. The game is incredibly readable, with a top down camera. Abilities are very clear and distinctive, fights play out over enough time that viewers can catch their breath and see a clear back and forth between teams, and the entire map is designed to be clear and free of any distractions. That being said, there’s a massive accessibility wall.New Esports Agency FTW Talent Has Officially Launched [Esports Pro]Quiles added: “The exponential growth of esports in recent years has created a burgeoning pool of young, aspiring players, coaches, and content creators who lack the time or know-how to legally protect themselves, seek out endorsements or licensed deals, negotiate their own contracts, or negotiate employment terms with prospective teams.”Esports and the Rise of the Digital Athlete [The Wall Street Journal]Esports are beginning to look a lot like real sports. We go inside this explosive industry and take a look at why future Olympic athletes might compete from behind a keyboard.The Future of Esports Marketing [VentureBeat]From a business standpoint and a commercialization standpoint, the biggest challenge that I know two games are trying to fix is one of geography and calendar. The irregularity of a lot of these games in terms of their calendar, the continent they play on, the lack of regular league play happening where they aren’t just crisscrossing all over the world basically fighting for purses and instead having a season long competition that culminates in either a regional championship that maybe goes to the worlds.Esports’ Millennial Appeal Proving to Entice Once-Weary Sponsors Across Sports Industry [Sports Business Daily]Madden NFL Club Championship Helping to Drive New Business for EA Sports [Sports Business Daily]Jerry Jones, John Goff Buy Majority Stake in CompLexity Gaming [ESPN]Texas Rangers Co-Owner Neil Leibman Has Acquired OpTic Gaming [Dot Esports]
