Esports, also known as e-sports or electronic sports, are organized competitive video gaming competitions that use various popular gaming titles to pit players against each other in live tournaments. This unique form of sports, which is rapidly growing in popularity, aims to create an alternative to traditional athletic events by allowing people to compete with each other for prize money and recognition.
Typically, team-based esports involve league play where sponsored teams vie for promotion or relegation based on how well they perform over the course of a season. This follows a similar structure to professional sports in European and Asian countries. Larger esports tournaments, like the League of Legends World Championship and Dota 2’s The International, feature dozens of professional teams competing against each other for prize money.
Gamers cheer on their favorite teams in a packed arena or watch the action online to massive audiences. Some esports tournaments are hosted by the video game companies themselves while others have governing bodies that act as oversight on a regional or global basis. These governing bodies may focus on specific esports or can be more general and act as trade groups to create a public face for the sport.
As gaming continues to grow and evolve, more and more brands are jumping on the esports bandwagon to secure sponsorship deals with top teams and players as well as streaming and social media platforms that want to broadcast live tournaments. The growth of esports has even led to some traditional sports leagues adding esports competitions as part of their event calendars, while many colleges have added varsity esports teams and scholarships.