eSports is a sport that is primarily played online where teams compete against each other in tournaments to win cash prizes. It has a large audience worldwide and is rapidly growing as a sports industry.
The esports ecosystem includes franchised leagues and tournaments, as well as amateur and amateur-professional competitions. It also includes publishers and developers that may decide to stop developing a particular game due to a small player base or monetary loss, and governing bodies that act as a collective public face and enforce rules for the games they represent.
It is a lucrative industry with hundreds of millions of dollars in profit and is rapidly becoming a major cultural phenomenon that will not go away. Newzoo predicts that a global audience of 1.6 billion people will know something about esports by the end of 2018.
Spectators enjoy watching esports because it allows them to see high-level players who are passionate about their work. They also find the games they watch to be deeply entertaining and engaging. They are also willing to travel to events and can often be seen in a large variety of venues.
There are many different kinds of games that can be considered esports, including multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA), real-time strategy games, and first-person shooter games. While some of these games are purely competitive, others have become a social or artistic form of expression that draws fans from around the world.
A team of gamers who have a professional contract can earn a six-figure salary or more, depending on their performance in tournaments and the amount of time they spend on the game. They can also build a fan base for themselves and their team or organization through social media and fan events.
Most esports leagues run a number of seasons, with teams competing in a series of games to be promoted or relegated according to how they perform. These matches are governed by the governing body, with prize money and other incentives provided to teams that do well.
These leagues are regulated by the game publishers, which are responsible for player representation and ensuring integrity, while broadcasters usually provide live coverage of the events. There are also a growing number of independent esports governing bodies that act as collective public faces for the industry and are responsible for setting the rules of a specific esport.
While esports is a global sport, some regions have more active esports scenes than others. China and South Korea are renowned for their thriving esports industries, with some of the best pro players in the world hailing from these countries.
In a recent report, Newzoo found that 380 million people will watch esports this year. Most of these are avid esports enthusiasts, and they typically live in North America, China, or South Korea.
The esports industry is a modern day gold rush, and has grown exponentially over the last few years. It is a burgeoning industry that is quickly becoming popular and has the potential to become a billion dollar industry in the next few years.
