While sports like football, basketball and golf are worth billions of pounds, there is a new sports industry that is making the big bucks, too. Esports, or electronic sports, involves playing video games competitively. Analysts of esports say that the esports industry could be worth $1.79 billion by 2022. Esports is hugely popular in the UK and it’s potentially something from which businesses in the region could gain.
How Is Esports So Popular?
One reason why esports is so popular in the UK is that it has become far more accessible. UK gamers can now watch live streams of the biggest esports competitions on platforms such as Twitch and Mixer. YouTube and other social media platforms also provide fans with another look at how the best esports players train and fans can engage with them, asking them questions and sending them messages.
Another answer to the question of how did esports come to be so popular is that people in the UK love competitions. Esports betting appeals to UK sports fans who already enjoy making bets on other sports – on who is likely to claim victory or crumble. It encourages this audience to tune in and watch esports live streams as they would a football or rugby match.
What Are the Most Popular Games for Esports Competitions?
The esports industry is huge and many multiplayer games have created esports leagues or set up competitions with prizes. Some of the biggest multiplayer games played in esports are League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Overwatch. These games all have esports competitions with prize funds worth millions of pounds, which is what makes them so appealing to fans.
The popularity of specific games in the industry changes regularly but is often linked to the top gamers, as they set trends. Fortnite, for example, became a huge hit but only after PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds had been released and set the battle royale trend. This makes it difficult to predict whether a game will get a large esports following. A good indicator, however, is if the game gets many updates and has an excited fan community, with people sharing gameplay tips and clips on social media.
Who Are the Best UK Teams?
Many of the best esports players come from countries such as South Korea. South Korea has a huge esports scene because it has incredibly fast Internet connections that mean there isn’t a delayed connection between their computers and a game’s servers. Internet cafes also allow people in South Korea to go out and play games with their friends, so they can find teams and people to play against.However, there are some successful UK players and teams as well. One of the most famous UK esports teams is the London Spitfire, a team in the Overwatch League. There are also players like Ryan Hart, a strong contender in the fighting game Street Fighter, who has won more than 450 tournaments.Sponsoring national UK esports tournaments won’t be financially possible for some of Yorkshire’s smaller businesses, but there are ways to tap into the growing esports market in the county. Tron Esports, is an esports team from Leeds, West Yorkshire, and there are esports bars such as eDen in Leeds, plus events such as the Yorkshire Games Festival. By sponsoring these, you could connect your business to the esports industry and share in its success.
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