At the beginning of the year, more than 1.3 million individuals watched the Super Bowl as it was streamed live through NBC. This was twice the amount of people watching in 2012’s livestream, when online streaming viewership became one of the main forms of sports spectatorship; fully entertain mainstream culture as the replacement to TV. Not only has livestreaming changed traditional methods of consuming sports media, but it has laid the foundation for new forms. Casino platforms are one example, which have given players the chance to simulate actual live games in an authentic and well-performing game environment.
Competitive Electronic Gaming Through E-sports
Also known as competitive video gaming, electronic sports, or pro gaming, e-sports are a method of sports viewing and competing where the sport is facilitated through electronic mediums. Info on e-sports is relatively new to most, but it can actually be a lucrative career path. Examples include League of Legends, Dota 2, and StarCraft II. Additionally, some games in the FPS genre such as team Fortress 2, Call of Duty, and Counter Strike are also gaining popularity in the e-sports arena.
Thanks to livestreaming’s ability to change gaming, viewership, and media in the public mind, competitive online gaming is now becoming one of the main platforms for virtual and traditional consoles alike. One example is e-sports, where video game players are now getting together in virtual environments to compete in professional, fully-organized tournaments.
Hugely Growing Viewership
E-sports have grown hugely since the beginning of the century. Now, the proliferation of online live casino platforms in 2010 has caused them to explode. With over 2000 pro tournaments hosted all over the world annually, the current fan base is continuing to expand beyond what anyone originally anticipated. Riot Games’ League of Legends online tournament was viewed by more than 32 million fans, who watched the game through real-time streaming. This is more than the total viewership of the NBA finals and the 2014 World Series combined.
Online casino gameplay’s lucrative style has impacted e-sports directly, placing increasing importance on financial motivations for players. prize money has gone up about 70 times what it was in 2000, with its current growth rate exploding in the last 5 years. In 2014, hosts and organizers paid out more than $36 million prize winnings, over roughly 2000 tournaments. This development got major sponsors in the corporate world, such as Coca Cola, involved in the rise of e-sports.
The Rise of Twitch, Livestreaming, and Online Competitive Gameplay
The future of gaming is Twitch. Livestreaming services and online platforms within the casino world have gotten more prolific over the years. Live broadcasting sources such as Twitch have made it easier to share, capture, and promote tournaments, with more than 100 million individuals viewing online video games, as well as live tournaments just through Twitch. In 2017, the number of viewers is projected to reach 146 million.
Future E-sports Potential
The International, a top e-sports competition, drew about 8.6 million viewers last year in real time through Twitch alone, allowing its audience numbers to rival the 2014 Stanley Cup games. This is one statistic that showcases the huge rise in e-sports, as well as displaying the influence of online gaming competitions and livestreaming technology as an impacting factor. Technology is likely to continue improving, becoming more accessible to a range of audiences. This means that cross platform games will have huge market potential in 2016 alone.
