".These partnerships lead Aletaha to believe that some of the next big non-gaming brands to enter esports will be from three primary areas: Quick service restaurants, male grooming and apparel. Meanwhile, while live events were paused, fans were getting their competitive fix through eSports. In a format never seen before, matches were live-streamed from home, allowing more intimate, exclusive access for fans.EA and the English Premier League created a virtual substitute for football fans by involving professional footballers with the FIFA20 Stay and Play Cup. "I think there's always going to be a place for new and upcoming games," he said. Sports federations, games publishers, and broadcasters began hosting global tournaments involving both professionals and celebrities to replace live sports and events.

"They set the standard on how you approach ad sales and partnerships to drive tons of revenue into these games. While the eSports industry is enjoying a recent surge in global popularity, the concept is actually nothing new. For instance Robert Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots, also paid $20 million to own the Boston-based team in Activision Blizzard's Overwatch League prior to its launch last year.Aside from the star-studded line of investors, 2018 saw a new rush of brands into the space. The European esports market experienced further growth in 2019 with most companies increasing their revenues. He is the author and a co-author of many of Deloitte Germany’s widely respected sports business publications.Andreas is a manager on Deloitte’s Risk Advisory Team. ".Riot, which has run esports leagues and tournaments for their "League of Legends" game since 2011, signed their first global partnership with Mastercard in September. In just a decade, electronic sports (eSports) has evolved from an underground culture into a mainstream industry worth billions of dollars today. Matching the predictions from the 2019 edition of this study, 77 per cent of the organisations stated that they managed to increase their revenues compared to 2018, accompanied by a boost in user numbers. STRENGTHS. The number of investments in esports doubled in 2018, going from 34 in 2017 to 68 in 2018, per Deloitte. #LetsGo #Mayhem #NewTeam… https://t.co/SzIjqRGUO2.With continual innovation and growth, the possibilities for eSports are endless. These were streamed directly to a host of social platforms including YouTube and Twitch. Adapting quickly and sustaining growth through turbulent times, whether or not people are at home has been crucial to recent months. Certain esports organizations, like FaZe Clan, are also moving aggressively into areas like merchandise, lending their brands more notoriety than if they'd stuck to esports alone.Rick Yang, partner at NEA — a venture capital firm that invests in esports — underscored this in a conversation with Business Insider Intelligence: "I actually think of esports as the mainstreaming of gaming, or the pop culture instantiation of gaming versus the pure idea of these players becoming professionals to compete at the highest levels." The industry engaged 380 million fans in 2017 and is expected to grow to 590 million by 2020. The report highlights the role of intellectual property and IPRs (intellectual property rights) for the esports ecosystem, and shows how esports would barely be able to exist without them.The industry developments in 2019 and to this point in 2020 underline the ecosystem’s dynamic and innovative character. In spite of increased user numbers, the economic consequences of the pandemic vary considerably for the different segments of the esports ecosystem.

A paid-for membership product for partners of The Drum to self-publish their news, opinions and insights on thedrum.com -.While the eSports industry is enjoying a recent surge in global popularity, the concept is actually nothing new.