Christian Fuchs decided to establish an esports team after noticing his son's interest in gaming.GETTY IMAGES
When Christian Fuchs recognized that his son was "more interested in tracking the fortunes of professional gamers than footballers," the EPL side Leicester City defender "detected more than just a business opportunity," according to Alan Smith of the LONDON TIMES. Fuchs decided to become the first Premier League player to "set up an esports team." The decision to invest was, he reckons, "a no-brainer." He said, "I was watching from afar, through my son, but after researching the business side of it I realized that it was a really good investment opportunity." Really good "may be an understatement." By '20, it is predicted that the annual revenue generated by competitive gaming will be $1.5B. When asked to define what makes esports so popular, Fuchs said, "It's free to watch." In an era when ManU and other super clubs "trumpet the growth of their social media channels as if it was a trophy," gaming appears to be the "next frontier" when it comes to expanding brand awareness. Why, then, "has the Premier League been unusually slow to exploit an obvious commercial opportunity?" A Premier League version "remains some way off," mostly due to licensing issues but also because the majority of clubs have "yet to test the market." Man City is "leading the way." Market research suggests that the majority of children decide which club to support between the ages of five and eight and that was a "key reason" behind Man City’s decision to "venture into competitive gaming." By "capturing the imaginations of young people with snappy online content," the hope is that those children then choose to support the football team (LONDON TIMES, 8/6).
