Top Five Reasons eSports Are Taking Over the Pro Sports World

Let’s get two things out of the way real quick.

1. I'm an avid Packers fan.
2. I'm an avid Team SoloMid  fan.

Now, the majority of folks reading this know exactly who the Packers are. They hail from Wisconsin. Aaron Rodgers is the Quarterback. Brett Favre used to be the Quarterback. The Lombardi trophy is named after the legendary Green Bay coach.

But what the @&#$ is a Solo...Mid?

Team SoloMid is an eSports Team in North America with teams spanning at least five different game titles.

Translation: Team SoloMid is a organization that owns teams of people who play video games professionally.

The whole professional gaming industry has been dubbed "eSports," and if you're to believe me, they're taking the sporting world by storm. But in the words of the great W. Edwards Deming, "In God we trust, all others bring data," I'll share with you my outlook on eSports and why it is the next, up-and-coming group in the world of pro sports.

1. Huge Companies Sponsor the Professional Teams

What do GEICO, Logitech, HTC, Samsung, Intel, and Nissan all have in common? They all sponsor eSports teams. And these are just a few. If there is one thing I know about these massive companies, it's that 1) They don't spend money foolishly, and 2) They like to anticipate industries that will expand, and make sure they have a foothold before it takes off.

2. Big Names in Business and Sports Are Getting Involved

At a major gaming tournament last year, Mark Cuban and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich went head-to-head against each other in a game of League of Legends.

I’ll let that sink in for a second.

Mark Cuban, serial entrepreneur, Shark Tank investor, and owner of the Dallas Mavericks. Yes, THAT Mark Cuban. Played video games next to a slew of professional players. Against the CEO of Intel. I couldn't make this up if you paid me.

But not to be outdone, Rick Fox, three-time NBA champion, purchased an eSports franchise called "Echo Fox," commenting to ESPN that "Everything that is happening in eSports is starting to mirror the rise of pro sports," which is likely why he wants in before it takes off.

3. The Access to Viewing Is Unmatched

On days when I'd like to enjoy watching my beloved pro sports teams play, I need to hope for one of the three following situations: 1) I own the sports package from my cable company, 2) A friend who owns the sports package is having people over, or 3) A local watering hole is playing the game (personally, my favorite option).

For eSports, a video streaming platform called Twitch live-streams all games. In the 2013 League of Legends Championship Series Finals, 12,000 fans watched from the sold out Staples Center (home of the Lakers and Kings) while 32 MILLION viewers joined in via livestream.

This was in 2013...three years ago! In 2015, the finals were watched by 36 million fans via livestream. The entire population of California in 2014 was 38 million, just to help you understand just how large that number really is.

The fact that fans can watch games for free anywhere in the world (I watched one while on vacation in Mexico via my phone...though we did watch the Wisconsin Badgers play Kentucky in the Final Four from the resort's Sports Bar) with incredible ease will be an incredible differentiator for a fan base who demand ease of access in viewing.

4. The Professionals Get Paid...Big.

Professional players get paid through several sources of income, commonly: 

1. Sponsorships
2. Streaming Subscribers - Basically donations from fans who enjoy watching you live stream. Additionally, they may simply donate money to you.
3. Streaming Advertisements
4. Wage - From the video-game company
5. Prize Money from Tournaments

These separate income sources can add up quickly, to professional players earning into the high five digits to over a million dollars per year. Just in streaming-related activities, we can imagine some of the top streamers are making around $10,000/month. Please note that player incomes generally are not disclosed or published, so actual figures are difficult to verify.

While these numbers seem small compared to typical sports contracts, you also have to keep in mind that the professional players tend to be young, 18-24 years old, and when they "retire" from professional gaming, they can choose to maintain their "streaming" revenue sources, which can be a great supplement to any income (or primary source, depending on your cost of living).

Another big factor in post-retirement income is that professional video gamers don’t typically come out with the life-long injuries that professional athletes do, which can decimate any retirement savings.

5. Playing Video Games Isn't Weird Anymore

Playing video games used to have a very negative social stigma, associated to 40 year old virgins living in parent's basements. Sorry folks, but that stigma has been history for every generation that succeeds Millennials (Some would argue even GenX'ers). The coming generations have a natural affinity for computers, technology, and things that make them fun, which means they don't hold the same negativity towards games as our parents did.

So then what happens traditional pro sports?

I don't think for a second that eSports will take over the pro sports we have today. In fact, you'd have to rip my Packers jersey out of my cold, dead hands. I do think that this is a new industry of sporting entertainment that will appeal to an entirely new audience, and even some die-hard traditional sports fans. I'm excited to see what the future of eSports has to come.

Until then...TSM! TSM! TSM!