eSports and Coronavirus
Digital content has had to adapt and change like never before in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. However, in a world where live programming is rare, eSports has proven to be incredibly adaptive, increasing its prominence on both traditional television and streaming platforms.
Despite the broad economic damage caused by the coronavirus, the worldwide video game industry is prospering. With social distance limiting consumer and company activity to a bare minimum, gaming provides an interesting distraction for individuals at home seeking social connection, and preliminary data suggests a massive increase in playing time and sales since the lockdowns began.
The COVID-19 epidemic, which began in early 2020, wreaked havoc on the sports sector. Hundreds of thousands of employment were placed at danger when several professional leagues across the world halted their seasons, and public athletic events throughout the world were canceled. According to projections, the sports industry's income will be under 74 billion dollars in 2020 as a result of the crisis, about half of what it was pre-COVID-19.
The COVID-19 epidemic, which swept the globe at the start of 2020, posed a serious danger not just to public health but also to the sports sector as a whole. Several professional sports leagues, including the NBA and NHL, as well as the majority of European professional soccer leagues, have decided to postpone or halt their seasons in order to prevent the disease from spreading. According to a study conducted in March 2020, 56% of respondents said the pandemic had a significant negative influence on the sports sector as a whole.
The coronavirus epidemic in 2020, which prompted the cancellation of numerous athletic events and traditional sports leagues, has undoubtedly aided the eSports industry's recent growth. As eSports become more widely recognized as a real professional activity, the sports business has begun to pay attention and engage with the burgeoning sector. In an August 2020 poll of sports business leaders throughout the world, 61% indicated that their company has already become involved with the eSports sector.
In an October 2020 poll of eSports CEOs from around the world, about 13% of respondents thought that the pandemic will result in a major rise in eSports investment and deal activity.
'Social distancing continuing to boost engagement with video games and eSports,' according to a survey of eSports executives from around the world conducted in October 2020, will be one of the main drivers for increased investment in eSports over the next six months, according to around 61 percent of respondents.
In the first half of 2020, revenue in Modern Time Group's eSports vertical is projected to drop by 25 to 35 percent compared to the same time in 2019. This is primarily due to events being canceled, relocated to only be available online, or postponed as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. Additionally, the company predicted a negative growth of 25 percent for the first quarter of 2020. However, the reported revenue decline was slightly lower than expected.
Modern Times Group (MTG) is a leading player in eSports and gaming entertainment headquartered in Sweden's capital.
What has changed in terms of viewership since the COVID-19 outbreak?
The COVID-19 epidemic that swept the globe in 2020 posed a serious danger not just to public health, but also to the entertainment industry as a whole. While many individuals resorted to home entertainment and eSports during moments of self-isolation when theatres and athletic events closed their doors to attempt to stop the spread of the sickness, many others turned to home entertainment and eSports. In a study conducted in June 2020, 66 percent of respondents in the United Kingdom claimed that since the epidemic, they had spent more time watching eSports.
NASCAR addressed the issue of cancelled live events in March 2020 by hosting a virtual 100-lap race with prominent drivers and broadcasters. The event, was aired on Fox Sports 1, was seen by an average of 638 thousand people.
While many individuals resorted to home entertainment and eSports during moments of self-isolation when theatres and athletic events closed their doors to attempt to stop the spread of the sickness, many others turned to home entertainment and eSports. NASCAR dealt with the issue of postponed live events by conducting virtual races with prominent drivers and broadcasters. On Fox Sports 1, the opening race of the 2021 season, held at a virtual replica of Tennessee's Bristol Motor Speedway, drew an average of 292 thousand viewers.
The ESL Pro League is a professional eSports league in which some of the finest players in the world compete in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a popular computer game. The ESL Pro League's tenth season, which aired in December 2019, had a high audience of over 369 thousand people.
Fan interest
In recent years, the eSports industry has exploded, with an increasing number of spectators tuning in to see their favorite games being played by some of the finest players on the planet. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in the United States, there was a spike in eSports interest among fans of various ages. During a survey in the U.S. in September 2020 among eSports fans of all ages, over 63 percent of fans under 17 reported an increase in eSports interest during the pandemic.
In a poll conducted in July 2020 in the United States, roughly 32% of those who had never heard of eSports said they were not interested in learning more about the topic.
The COVID-19 epidemic that swept the globe at the start of 2020 posed a serious danger not just to public health but also to the sports sector as a whole. Many professional leagues have closed their doors to spectators or have completely postponed their seasons, resulting in a significant dearth of live sports content on television. In a study conducted in March 2020 in the United States, 41% of respondents said sports documentaries would be their favourite alternative sports viewing during the pandemic.
In a poll of eSports fans in the United States conducted in May 2021, 15% of respondents said they would be extremely uncomfortable attending a sporting event during the crisis.
NASCAR addressed the issue of cancelled live events in March 2020 by hosting a virtual 100-lap race with prominent drivers and broadcasters. The Fox Sports 1 coverage of the event drew a lot of attention on social media, with roughly 217.3 thousand engagements on Twitter.
eSports events
In recent years, the eSports industry has exploded, with millions of gamers tuning in to see the world's finest eSports players compete in a variety of online games. In a poll conducted in July 2020 in the United States, 24 percent of those who had heard of eSports said they had remotely attended an eSports tournament. When it comes to responders aged 18 to 34, this number more than doubles to 56 percent.
When, in March 2020, NASCAR used the online racing site iRacing to address the issue of its cancelled live events by hosting a virtual 100-lap race with notable drivers and announcers. 5,000 more customers have purchased access to the online racing simulation since NASCAR announced these events.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a series of eSports events ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, with the prospective inclusion of video games in the Olympics in mind. The "Olympic Virtual Series" would include video game-based events in five sports: auto racing, baseball, cycling, rowing, and sailing. In a survey conducted in April 2021 in the United States, 9% of respondents said they would be extremely likely to watch an Olympic Virtual Series event, while 43% said they would not be at all likely to follow the eSports tournaments.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched a series of eSports events ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, with the eventual inclusion of video games in the Olympics in mind. The Olympic Virtual Series would include video game tournaments in five sports: auto racing, baseball, cycling, rowing, and sailing. In a study conducted in April 2021 in the United Kingdom, just 4% of respondents said they would be highly likely to watch an event from the Olympic Virtual Series, while 43% said they would not be at all likely to watch the eSports games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a series of eSports events ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, with the possible inclusion of video games in the Olympics in mind. The "Olympic Virtual Series" would include video game-based tournaments in five sports: auto racing, baseball, cycling, rowing, and sailing. In a study conducted in April 2021 in the United States, 44 percent of those who indicated they would be inclined to watch the Olympic Virtual Series said they would be interested in virtual baseball tournaments.
