Gaming has taken the 21st century by storm and it has easily become one of America’s favorite pastimes for men and women.
According to Exploding Topics, data shows that there are “approximately 3.09 billion active video gamers worldwide.” Much like regular sports, there has to be a community of people interested in the product so the competitors can do what they do best full time. That is the current state of eSports; it is becoming bigger by the year, adding more fans and eyes to the product.
“The global esports market size was valued at USD 1.45 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 1.72 billion in 2023 to USD 6.75 billion by 2030,” Fortune Business Insights said via their website.
Activision just had one of their most successful years to date with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, breaking the number for the highest selling Call of Duty game ever upon release. The Call of Duty League also just announced that this season broke some of their own viewership peak, averaging over 300,000 viewers at one time during some tournaments.
Valorant is another competitive game that has made major advances in the eSports industry, with their peak views maxing at nearly 1.6 million. While the main critique on eSports is that it is not a real sport, it certainly has been making its wave in the gaming community — and beyond Gaming — and eSports is suspected to get bigger as time passes.
While it’s a long shot to say it will become as big as normal sports, eSports will continue to create its own path to success through support of the consumer.