The Popularity Of Esports Around The World

The world of eSports has seen tremendous growth over the past few years and eSports are not just popular among those who participate in games and events, but they are also quite popular with those that spend time watching competitions. In 2016, the eSports industry generated over $636 million in revenue and players took home more than $120 million in prizes. These numbers increased even more in 2017 and are expected to soar in 2018. Predictions state that global revenue will surpass $1.75 billion by 2020 and the audience enjoying eSports will exceed 600 million. With some of the biggest names in technology now involved in eSports, it goes without saying that this industry is booming and will continue to see amazing growth over the coming years.

Even professional athletes are getting involved in eSports and there are a number of online betting sites that offer competitive odds on eSports. With plenty of esports wagering sites, one does not have to be a player to be part of the eSports industry. Fans can also benefit from betting on eSports competitions and and tournaments and can win cash payouts as their top playing idols compete in some of the largest and highest paying events around the globe.Fans can bet on CS:GO, League of Legends, StarCraft 2, Hearthstone, and other major eSports events.

Popular Venues for eSports

For those who enjoy watching eSports events, there is nothing more exciting than visiting a venue to watch the competitions take place. Twitch TV has millions of viewers each month and has long been a popular way for viewers to get in on the action, but now, fans are flocking to venues to enjoy the action in person. Major venues around the world have started to host huge eSports events, such as the Air Canada Centre, which sold out of tickets for the League of Legends Championship Series Summer Finals held in August of 2016. The usual home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs was taken over by thousands of eSports fans rooting on their favorite players.

League of Legends was also the cause for a sold out Madison Square Garden event. More than 18,000 seats were taken for two nights as fans watched the League of Legends World Championship Semifinals. In fact, eSports have become so popular that Madison Square Garden Company acquired stakes in Counter Logic Gaming and this will mark the first eSports team investment for the Garden and the New York Knicks. The venue will be hosting many great events throughout 2018 and the coming years and has a genuine interest in the world of eSports. With the growing popularity, fans and players will find themselves in the seats at Madison Square Garden for many of the top upcoming championship series that will be played.

Tutoring Courses and eSports Scholarships

Not only are eSports being played by professionals, but the new craze also attracts younger players. Many universities are now offering eSports scholarships and some have even started to offer professional gaming as a course of study. In China, there is a college that is dedicated to the training and tutoring of eSports players. The Lanxang Technical School offers courses to assist gamers and during the first year, students will work om the improving of skills for popular games like Overwatch, League of Legends and Counter-Strike. After the first year, students are divided and the best will focus on a professional career while others will learn how to organize, promote or coach eSports events.

There are many schools that have started to embrace eSports and they offer degrees and areas of study for those that wish to have a career in this booming industry. With degrees in business to degrees in video game design and development, hundreds of courses are being offered around the globe to help new gamers prepare to enter this amazing industry. Staffordshire University will be the first in the UK to offer a degree in eSports, which will begin in September of 2018.

In terms of scholarships, there are many resources and options available for gamers who are looking to pursue a degree in eSports. You can find information on gaming scholarships at NAC eSports, a site that is devoted to offering info relating to the development of college programs and scholarships opportunities. There are now colleges and universities all over the world that are offering scholarships for eSports, including Robert Morris University, the first in the US to offer a video game scholarship where a student can get as much as $19,000 per year in scholarships. Some other top college choices that offer great scholarships include Stephens College, The University of Utah and the University of California.

There are also private scholarships that are available and any gamer can apply for these to get aid to attend a college for a degree in eSports There is the Gamers Helping Gamers Scholarship, which is a great resource for those looking for a small scholarship to assist with finances at a university. As mentioned, many of the leading colleges in the US and Canada are offering scholarships for video gaming and this is also a popular offering in universities in England and China as well.

Most Popular eSports Platforms

For those spectators who do not wish to visit a venue to watch an eSports event live, there are many platforms that can be accessed for instant access to the most popular tournaments and Championships. Twitch is perhaps one of the most popular for streaming events, but there are also other excellent platforms that can be used like Gaming Live and Showroom. These offer free and high-quality streaming. Hitbox is another popular platform that is a great alternative to Twitch. It offers a fast streaming experience and is a great site to bring together broadcast partners, streamers and even event organizers.

With millions of people around the world looking to watch live streams of the most popular eSports events, these platforms have seen a huge increase in usage and memberships and they continue to offer the best quality, easy use and access to streams of some of the most popular events in the eSports industry.