THE RISE OF THE ESPORTS INDUSTRY IN 2019 AND BEYOND

Who isn’t secretly dreaming of making a living by becoming a professional gamer and thus turning a hobby into a paying job? As eSports are gradually being recognised as a form of professional sport such as football or basketball – amateurs who want to turn pro are finding themselves in an increasingly competitive industry. As the world’s fastest-growing sport, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) even hosted a joint forum with gaming communities to explore opportunities to collaborate and to therefore improve fan engagement for the world’s most prestigious sporting event. As gaming is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of entertainment, the latest studies show that the eSports industry will continue to grow significantly, both in terms of revenue and viewership. Platforms such as Twitch, which is the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers, have seen a steady increase in the number of people who view live gaming streams.