Esports is the fastest-growing new sports category in the world. Millions of viewers tune into live tournaments, and the industry has reached a valuation of over $1 billion. Traditional sports fans often see this as a threat: how could they be worried about anything but artificial gaming? But in fact, there are many reasons why esports should be at the Olympics!
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Why The Olympics Is A Good Fit For Esports
The Olympic Games is one of the most important and prestigious multi-sport events in the world. It brings together athletes from around the globe to celebrate the best in athletics and build connections between cultures, as well as provide a memorable experience for the athletes and fans. Having esports Olympics would help promote these ideals and build a new generation of fans.
All of the major international brands are sponsoring the Olympics. If esports betting were included in the esports Olympic Games, it would bring these companies together and create a massive partnership opportunity for the esports betting industry.
Esports Is Already Big And Getting Bigger
The esports betting industry has grown dramatically in recent years, with many people seeing this as a sign that esports betting has become a legitimate sport. The esports audience has grown from a niche group of people gaming in their bedrooms to millions of fans watching tournaments in stadiums and online.
There are now over 2 billion esports fans worldwide, and the industry has been valued at $1.5 billion, with many predicting that it will grow much larger in the coming years. The esports audience is very young, with a median age of 27, and 80% of them are aged between 18 and 39. The esports audience is also diverse, with 37% being female and 71% living outside of Asia.
Developing Talent Through Esport Competition
Another major issue with esports Olympics is that many people believe that esports does not develop real sports skills. This is similar to the issue of technology-enabled cheating: many people believe that esports does not develop real-life skills. In many esports tournaments, players compete online against the computer and do not need to communicate with each other to achieve a win. This is certainly true for some esports, but not all of them.
Rebuilding Trust In Sport
The Olympic brand has been tarnished in recent years by doping scandals. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 and the Sochi Olympics in 2014 were marred by doping scandals and the subsequent removal of many athletes and coaches from competition or even suspension from the IOC. Esports is free of this problem.
Since the industry is still relatively new, there is no history of doping or corruption within it. This means that esports would be able to help to rebuild trust in the sports industry, and many fans would feel more positive if esports Olympics were included.
Final Words
Esports should be at the Olympics as it is growing in popularity and engaging more people. Having esports Olympics will bring in new fans and help sustain the Olympic brand. By changing the rules around how games are played, esports can be made fair for everyone. By resolving the issues surrounding traditional sports and promoting the benefits of esports, esports can be included in the Olympic Games.