Is Esports The Most Watched Sport

Esports vs traditional sports revenue

Esports, or competitive video gaming, is something that has been steadily growing in popularity over the last few years. It’s a form of entertainment that some people are calling the “future of sports.” The global esports economy reached $696 million in 2018 and it’s expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2020. That’s about twice as fast as traditional sports revenue growth rates which are at 4%. Esports revenues will grow faster than those for any other form of media content (except perhaps digital music). There are several reasons why this medium is so popular: Players can make money on their game play; they don’t need expensive equipment; and it appeals to younger generations who grew up with technology. But there may be one big reason why esports will become the most popular form of sports in the near future: money.

Figure Caption : 

The revenue for esports is projected to grow twice as fast as that for any other form of media content by 2020. Credit: Zenith eSports Finance Panel, ESports 2018 Key Topics Conference, Cologne, Germany, June 12–13, 2018. The $696 million figure was calculated based on 2017 data collected by Newzoo and published in its Global Esports Market Report.

Do you think that esports is the most watched sport?

How about traditional sports like football, baseball, and basketball?

That might sound surprising but it’s true. Esports is now more popular than these other sports because of its continuous growth in popularity. The number of people who are watching esports has exponentially increased over the last few years which makes this genre one of the most watched sports around.

Furthermore, there are many benefits to playing video games as opposed to traditional sporting activities such as physical activity and exercise which will be discussed later on in this post.

To find out why esports have become so popular all around the world keep reading!

Benefits of playing video games

There are many benefits to playing video games as an alternative to traditional sports like:

Physical activity and exercise. Video gaming requires absolutely no physical movement however it does require a lot of mental stimulation which can be good for your brain and will help you keep your mind sharp if that is something that interests you. You would think that not having to exert yourself physically during the game would make the gamer more sedentary but according to research, this isn’t true at all. It’s been proven time and time again that those who play video games do so with high levels of energy and enthusiasm instead of laziness or lethargy. Teamwork skills.

How popular is Esports around the world?

The popularity of eSports has increased exponentially in the last few years, with more people tuning in every day to watch their favorite games. But what is it that attracts so many viewers? And why are they watching? The answer may be found in the unique qualities of these competitions.

There are many reasons why people enjoy watching video game matches. Some of them include: *The thrill and excitement that comes from playing a competitive match against someone you know or have never met before *The sense of community when you sit down with friends or family to cheer on your team together *An escape from reality for an hour or two where there’s no schoolwork, chores, etc., just fun! With all these benefits, it’s no wonder that viewership of eSports is on the rise.

Why people watch eSports

Some might argue that only a small portion of the viewers are actually hardcore fans who truly appreciate and understand what’s going on in the game. But, for many casual fans, simply watching others play video games can be fun and entertaining! Maybe you just like to follow your favorite teams and players as they battle it out or cheer them on as they do their best to win. And then there are those who simply want to become better at playing themselves! Watching other people play can serve as a great learning tool for those who want to up their own gaming skills.

Are Esports still popular?

Athletes from all walks of life are now able to play competitive video games as a profession. These players, known as esports athletes or gamers, compete in popular tournaments for cash prizes and fame. This is the future of sports entertainment—and it’s here to stay.

Athletes from all walks of life are now able to play competitive video games as a profession. These players, known as esports athletes or gamers, compete in popular tournaments for cash prizes and fame. In fact, the industry is growing so much that it has been estimated that there will be 26 million monthly viewers by 2020! That figure does not even take into account the millions more who tune into major events around the world such as The International Dota 2 Championships, where millions of viewers watch the action unfold.

“Who are these people watching esports online?” The answer might surprise you, as there is a sector of adults who have never even touched an electronic sport before. As younger generations become more detached from traditional sports, it seems that they are finding their new favorite sport in video games.

Unsurprisingly, 25- to 34-year-old males make up the largest portion of esports viewers and players—but interest in competitive gaming extends well beyond this demographic: Approximately 21% of US men aged 18 and older and 15% of US women aged 18 and older report playing some form of video game on a console, computer, or handheld device at least once per week.

What is the world’s most watched sport?

Esports is a relatively new term that has become more mainstream in recent years. It’s abbreviated from the phrase “electronic sports” and refers to video games played competitively for spectator entertainment, including popular games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch. Esports are typically streamed live on platforms such as Twitch or YouTube. As of this year, esports viewership numbers have surpassed major professional sporting events in terms of hours watched per month. The most popular esport game worldwide is Dota 2 with about 700 million hours viewed per month on average. This makes it more popular than some traditional sports leagues like Major League Soccer or NBA basketball. When you consider the number of people who play these games already (over 100 million monthly active users), and the fact that esports aren’t even broadcasted on television, you can imagine just how huge this “sport” could potentially get. In fact, team owners who own professional sports teams are already buying esports teams. At this rate, it’s likely esports will eventually become more popular than soccer in terms of viewership if not participation.

The future is coming.

Esports vs sports viewership worldwide

The most watched sport on the planet is football, but some people argue that esports might be catching up.

The World Cup final in July 2018 was watched by 3.2 billion people worldwide while the League of Legends Worlds Championship Final in November 2017 had 100 million viewers tuning in for just one game. That’s more than any other sporting event this year, including Super Bowl LII which attracted 103 million viewers globally and 111 million US TV viewers. And while it’s true that viewership numbers tend to be inflated when streaming services like Twitch are involved, there are concrete signs of growth within esports as well – with sponsorships growing from $38m in 2015 to an estimated $200m this year across all major tournaments and leagues.

Project viewership numbers are even more impressive when you look at some of the top streams on Twitch. This year’s TwitchCon event was watched by over 250,000 people – making it one of the most popular online broadcasts ever. A week later eleague’s CS:GO Major final between Astralis and NaVi garnered 1.1 million concurrent viewers, while IEM Oakland 2017 peaked at 2.76 million concurrent views for their Dota2 tournament. Even League of Legends Worlds this year saw 484,800 peak viewers during the finals, compared to just 440,000 for Patriots v Panthers 2017 on TV in America.

Esports viewership vs superbowl

The following is a comparison of esports viewership vs superbowl in 2018.

The Super Bowl in 2018 had 111 million viewers and the League of Legends’ Worlds Championship in 2017 had 113 million viewers, which is only 1% less than the Super Bowl’s viewership. The total number of hours watched for all esports events was an astounding 807 billion hours, compared to the NFL with 197 billion hours (NFL). Esports viewership has been growing at such a rapid pace that it is now more popular than some sports like boxing or even golf. It may soon overtake soccer as well if current trends continue. So what does this mean? One thing we know for sure: it means that there are many people who enjoy watching competitive gaming and want to see it succeed.

Above is the viewership of the superbowl in 2018 and Worlds 2017.

Worlds 2017 had 113 million viewers, if we compare that to NFL’s viewership, it only has 1% less than the Superbowl’s. There are 807 billion hours watched which trend is faster than NFL. Even though trend is faster, NFL consumption time is still at 197 billion hours compared to esports consumption time is at 807 billion hours “The Esports Observer”, or “Allied Esports”. This consumption time means many people watch and enjoy this content and want esports to continue and improve in quality and provide entertainment for more audiences in their local regions and also across the world with global events such as Worlds Championship or even Olympic Games!