Before the recent e-sports boom, finding events "was a chore for fans," but now e-sports is "on the verge" of becoming a $1B industry, according to Colton Lochhead of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Twitch Dir of E-Sports Operations Nick Allen said that the "biggest reason for that sudden boom has come down to accessibility." Previously, only a "handful of websites tracked and broadcast events, making following the sport a difficult task." Streaming apps such as Twitch, YouTube and Azubu live-stream "dozens of professional tournaments, and even let fans watch and interact with their favorite gamers during solo-live-streams on days without tournaments." Allen said that the integration of those apps into Smart TVs, streaming devices such as Roku and Apple TV, and even cellphones "made finding your favorite Esport match a simpler, more user-friendly process." As more e-sports tournaments end up on TV broadcasts like TBS' ELeague, that accessibility and reach will "continue to grow." Some in the industry are "worried that the influx of brands and myriad of tournaments in recent years is causing an over-saturation for fans." Allen added that with so many tournaments, fans are "having trouble tracking the importance of matches." Talks are "turning to player unionization and the potential need for larger regulatory bodies seen in the NBA, NHL and NFL." Allen said that he would "love to see the players unionize so as the ensure they get paid properly and are treated fairly" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/6).
BUSINESS IS BOOMING: Yahoo CRO Lisa Utzschneider in a special to ADWEEK wrote savvy marketers are "taking advantage of the chance to reach such an engaged audience" as that of e-sports at scale. It is "no surprise then that major brands like General Mills and agencies like Mindshare North America have noted the opportunities" in e-sports. Mindshare NA's research "shows that the esports audience is more complex than you might think -- while over half of fans are millennials," 60% of e-sports fans are between the ages of 25 and 39, many are parents, and 38% are women (ADWEEK.com, 1/4). Meanwhile, Turner Chair & CEO John Martin, whose network airs ELeague, said the growth of e-sports is a "global phenomenon." Martin: "We have significant expansion possibilities outside the United States and this is nothing more than consumers watching another sport." Martin said the growth of e-sports is not at the "expense" of other sports viewership, but will "continue to be a source of new video consumption across multiple platforms" ("Closing Bell," CNBC, /15).
