The Rise of Esports: A Major Competitor to Traditional Entertainment

| Updated on December 18, 2024

“With younger audiences flocking to competitive gaming, it’s clear that esports has become an entertainment juggernaut and a real competitor to gambling.”

  • Elliott P. McNeil, CEO of Unikrn (Esports Betting Platform)

As an esports aficionado, I have observed numerous trends in this industry over the years. I didn’t even realize when we shifted from arcade competitions to streaming tournaments. If we talk about the current scenario, with more acceptance and platforms like online casino NZ, the integration of gambling into esports has become a major trend. 

The increased popularity of e-sports has led many established gambling operators to offer their services on related events and platforms, resulting in a surge in esports-related gambling. (Sage Journals-What is e-sport betting?)

Let’s take a deeper dive into the evolution of Esports and discuss important aspects of it. 

A Journey Filled With Ups and Downs

The esports expansion was filled with ups and downs nothing less than a rollercoaster, after all, no iconic journey is linear. As someone who has closely lived and observed all these changes, let me give you a comprehensive overview of this ride. 

  • In the early 2000s, the knowledge and resources for esports were limited, and competitive gaming started and ended at local tournaments. I remember most people (including some of my close friends) preferred traditional sports and gambling casinos for entertainment over these events. 
  • The 2010s were significant years for this industry. This period observed a rapid surge in acceptance and viewership. Even companies like Coca-Cola started sponsoring international esports events, and it became mainstream. 

You might be thinking that people who trusted traditional sports and gambling might have shifted their sides. But, not yet, I agree that some of them were inclined toward this side, but their skepticism was still very much evident.

  •  It was the recent years that aligned with emerging trends like VR, AR, and online betting. Now you can even see platforms like Rivalry and Unikrn that are converging the e-sport and gambling market by providing a dedicated platform for everything. 
  • Looking at the history and current scenario of the online gaming industry, I can confidently say that the future holds something greater, and the digital gaming market is bound to evolve even more. 

On that note, the graph below represents that the global export market is projected to grow from $2.8 billion in 2024 to $16.7 billion in 2033. 

Global esports market size. 

Vast Competitive Formats Have Boosted Growth

Trust me, the current digital sports situation is extremely different from what it used to be in the early days. There are different factors that resulted in this change. I know you might be curious to know more about these elements, so, let’s walk together through some of the competitive formats that boosted the growth of this industry. 

Team-Based Tournaments 

What better way to enjoy it with your friends than to play an interactive match of Call of Duty together? These everyday ways of relaxing and enjoyment turned into team-based tournaments and boosted the esports sector by appealing to the audience who enjoy watching collective and coordinated teamwork.   

Individual Competitions

How can we forget about individual players? Not only teams, but there was also something planned for players who believed in personal heroism and performed better alone. As part of the audience, I loved watching two individual players compete in the League of Legends with their unique skills. 

Real-Time Strategy

The hype for StarCraft and Warcraft events used to be over the moon, setting the standard on a different level. These games require real-time strategies, and it was nothing less than a treat to watch players showcasing their quick thinking and smart decision-making skills, 

Online Leagues and Seasonal Competitions

Like traditional sports, seasonal competitions and tournaments have become an integral part of esports too. I always excitedly wait for these international leagues. Not just me, these events keep thousands of fans around the globe engaged.  

Open and Invitational Tournaments

I know that just being part of the audience is not enough for some people. If you are also someone who finds it tempting to watch others play and wish to be one of the players streaming on the screen, then don’t worry because there is something for you too. 

You can compete in Dreamhack events, which are open tournaments and offer everyone a fair chance to shine. Whereas, to maintain the traditional essence, competitions like CS:GO Major Championships invite the best-known players to compete in the event. 

DO YOU KNOW?
Esports betting is estimated to be worth over $13 billion globally, and it’s growing faster than traditional sports betting. This overlap between esports and gambling has made esports a key competitor in the betting market.

The Esports sector has not remained the same as it was in the early 2000s. Want to know some interesting facts about this industry that will blow your mind away? 

  • There are over 500 million esports viewers. 
  • You can earn more than $40 million by winning the international Dota 2 competition, which is crowned as the richest tournament of all competitive sports.
  • The online sports industry is worth $1.6 billion, and even huge names like Coca-Cola and Mercedes-Benz sponsor their events.
  • An average player can earn around $50,000 – $300,000 per annum through competitions, endorsements and streaming platforms. 

Going through all these facts mentioned above, you must have gotten an idea of how popular the esports sector is. Suddenly you wish to become a professional esports player, don’t you?  Well, I understand this feeling too well.

From simple arcade tournaments to the large industry we talked about in this article, the esports industry has come a long way. This journey was nothing less than a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs. 

Various competitive formats like team-based tournaments, individual competitions, and seasonal leagues played a part in the growth of this industry. Looking ahead, I can say with full confidence that with the advancement of technology and new innovations, this sector will grow even more and there is a lot that is yet to be uncovered.  




Vaibhav Krishna

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