The global eSports market has grown from $737.7 million in 2018 to around $1.6 billion in 2023. That’s just the tip of the iceberg – by 2027, it is expected to hit $2.2 billion. The entry of well-known athletes has spurred growth.
Much of the attraction is in the diversity of the market. Games range from multiplayer online games (MMO) to direct sports sims. You can compete in teams or as a lone wolf; whatever game genre you enjoy, there’s something for you. The prizes on offer dwarf those of real sporting events – the prize pool for The International, a Dota 2 tournament, hit $40m in 2021, although it did settle to around $18m in 2022. Millions of people watch and participate daily across titles such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, and car/soccer crossover Rocket League.
Esports are popular in many countries across Europe, America, and Asia. The South Korean esports industry is thriving, and they’re considered one of the pioneers that paved the way for others. They helped sponsor the first World Cyber Games as early as 2000 and were among the first to recognize it as an official. Since then, Denmark, Russia, Italy, and South Africa have recognized esports as a sport, helping further drive its popularity.
The crossover is completed when you consider that many real-life athletes have become entwined with esports, buying teams, streaming games, and getting heavily involved. We saw much of that during the pandemic of 2020, and interest hasn’t waned.
These top athletes are all as committed to esports as they were to their actual sport, which only helps fuel growth and evolution.
Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero reached the top of professional soccer, winning five Premier League titles in England and the Europa League in Spain. He appeared 101 times for Argentina and played in a World Cup final. He retired at 33 through a heart problem but has set about making a name for himself in esports. As a keen gamer, he started streaming his exploits and became the fastest-growing streamer in the world in May 2020. His cause was helped by the likes of Lionel Messi, who joined him on the streams. By 2022 he became one of the top five streamers in the world, with 36 million followers. He’s also the founder of KRU Esports, an Argentine Esports team focused predominately on Valorant.
Jeremy Lin
Point guard Jeremy Lin won the NBA championship in 2019 with the Raptors before departing for Beijing, but he was already embroiled in esports before that triumph. He enjoyed playing Dota 2 in High School, and the 34-year-old has used that experience in his later life. He participated in The International and spoke about esports as early as 2014. In 2016, he co-founded an esports team called VGJ, later renamed J.Storm. He has recently invested in Vici Gaming, one of China’s most successful teams.
Gordon Hayward
33-year-old Hayward was an NBA All-star in 2017 and is still playing for the Hornets. While he’s certainly no slouch on the court, he is a big fan of esports off it. He has a lifelong interest in video games, counting League of Legends as his favorite Esports. He has appeared in commercials for the IGN Pro League and has endorsements with HyperX, Xfinity, and AutoFull. In 2020, he invested in an esports team called Tribe Gaming, which focused on mobile titles such as Brawl Stars, Call of Duty, and Clash of Clans.
