Organized, competitive, video gaming. While amateur tournaments and competitions have long been a part of the video gaming culture, an emergence of professional gamers and growth of spectatorship began in the late 2000s. Live streaming on websites like Twitch.com have not only fueled a rapid increase in the video gaming audience, they have also created opportunities for teams and organized tournaments and leagues to form. The popularity of virtual esports has been well-documented. With the advent of console and online gaming, virtual competitions have been taking place for several years. Twitch, the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers, averages around 1.3 million viewers at any given time, a figure that has grown by 136% over the past five years. While most gamers play independently, organized competitions are common, attracting both online viewership and live spectator attendance

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Video games and esports have not and will not remain a virtual phenomenon. Our desire to meet and gather is strong. After creating a strong virtual connection, meeting in-person is an exciting and natural next step. Just like any other sport, we can watch games on television or online, but to see the best players compete live and in the company of other fans is something special.

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If you still question the viability of esports as a spectator sport, please check out Esports a Sport?. Esports is not a future trend. It’s here.

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Want to learn more? Esports 101 is a downloadable white paper that introduces the esports ecosystem, esports events, where esports competitions are held, and the trends that are currently driving the industry.