What Traditional Sports Can Learn From Esports...and Vice Versa

In 2013, now 6-time Olympian, Hayley Wickenheiser, and I became the first ever women’s hockey players added as playable characters in the EA SPORTS NHL Franchise, joining a roster of legends including Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Jeremy Roenick.

I was proud to be a part of this step by a major corporation like EA SPORTS to create more inclusive experiences for female hockey fans and encourage greater participation in hockey from young women everywhere. It was pretty surreal to see the digital version of myself take the ice, but at the time, I didn't really pay much attention to video games or esports.

Flash forward, and as a leader in the sports industry today, I have a true appreciation for how esports has grown and I remain bullish on its potential. Esports, even as a tiny portion of the broader gaming industry, can offer many lessons to the traditional sports industry. We study this on a daily basis at Sports Innovation Lab. 

There are several things that esports is doing particularly well to engage Fluid Fans--these are things that traditional sports should pay attention to and learn about for their own fan bases to fuel growth:

1. Technology: Esports is investing in and harnessing the power of digital technology. As a digital first sport, esports can do things today that traditional sports needs to build or back into. A quick look behind the scenes of the production of the League of Legends Worlds event is just one example of how esports is using technology to push the envelope in sports event production. 
2. Accessibility: Esports provides accessibility at home and anywhere in between--literally anyone, anywhere can play - they do not need access to limited ice rinks or limited playing fields (one caveat is socioeconomics, as not all people have access to a computer). It is hard to replicate this accessibility for traditional sports and highlights the limited barrier to entry that esports benefits from.  
3. Content: Esports properties are prolifically creating and sharing content in new ways. Look no further than Twitch--it is incredible the way people engage and really lean into the content through chat, subscriptions and interactivity. Fans expect to do so much more than just “watch.” Esports allows their entire ecosystem of fandom to create, share, communicate, etc. These Fluid fans finally have agency to co-create a alongside a sport. 
4. Community: Esports has created social platforms and places for fans and athletes to engage with one another. Esports has always been a community first, grassroots, bottom-up scene, with top streamers connecting directly with their fans. Compare this model to the top-down model in the broader sports community and you can see why these fans feel like they have more agency in this sport. These connections are especially important now, as we navigate the pandemic. 

On the flip side, there are longstanding models that esports can learn from traditional sports--such as building leagues, governance, ensuring diversity & inclusion, and ensuring the health and safety of athletes (which, as the former IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair and a former athlete, I care a lot about).

In my new role as the Coordination Commission of Global ESports Federation’s first Global Esports Games, I have a unique opportunity to facilitate these cross-learnings between esports and traditional sports. Moreover, I have a strong sense of responsibility to help ensure that esports continues to grow in a way that is equitable, fair, healthy, and safe. 

My hope is that we can take esports to the wide world of traditional sports throughout the globe using the ecosystem already developed by the Pro Leagues and International Federations. The road forward for esports will not be clear, or without bumps. But the promise and opportunity in esports is real. That’s why it is imperative that we grow esports with a focus on values and community and with a strong connection to traditional sports, to insulate the industry from the inevitable business challenges, but more importantly, to build a better, more ethical sports world for everyone. I am excited that Sports Innovation Lab has the opportunity to work with GEF on their vision to bring the world together. #worldconnected