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What The Future Of eSports May Look Like

One video game developer plans to change it all.

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What The Future Of eSports May Look Like
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Last year, I remember turning on my TV to watch ESPN, only to witness something I never expected to see. There, on the same channel as Sportscenter (which I watched every morning from late elementary school to the end of high school), was a live broadcast of a professional video game tournament. While I knew professional video game tournaments (or “eSports”) existed, I didn’t know they were popular enough to be shown on such a popular channel as ESPN. And the tournament wasn’t for League of Legends or FIFA, two popular eSports games that I personally don’t care about. Instead, the tournament was for Halo 5, the fifth installment in one of my favorite video game franchises. So as a Halo fanboy, I watched the rest of the tournament with unanticipated enthusiasm. It felt strange to cheer for Halo 5 players the same way I’d cheer for my favorite basketball or football players, but I nevertheless enjoyed watching the tournament.

So when video game developer Blizzard Entertainment recently announced Overwatch League, their own eSports organization, I couldn’t help but think about the first time I watched an eSports tournament. For those who don’t know, Overwatch is a multiplayer first person shooter that was released last year, and it continues to be one of the most popular online games today. But what sets Overwatch League apart from other eSports organizations is its potential to make absurd amounts of money.

According to a report from Morgan Stanley, Blizzard could possibly earn up to $720 million from the Overwatch League. This is, of course, a best-case scenario, which requires an average of 75,000 viewers during the regular season, an average of 12 million viewers during the playoffs, and Blizzard doubling the number of teams in the Overwatch League from 16 to 32. That last part is especially important since one slot in the Overwatch League reportedly costs $20 million. And just this past Thursday, two more teams joined the Overwatch League, one of which is owned by the same guys who own other teams such as the Colorado Avalanche (NHL) and Los Angeles Rams (NFL).

Blizzard Entertainment isn't the only ones who stand to make a profit from the Overwatch League, however. According to The Consumerist, Overwatch League players will have a minimum salary of $50,000 a year and can earn up to 50% of their team bonuses (which will total $3.5 million in the first year). For perspective, Major League Soccer players have a minimum salary of $53,000 a year. And as if this wasn’t enough, Overwatch League players with one-year guaranteed contracts will also receive a retirement savings plan and health insurance.


At this point, I’d usually dive into the debate of whether or not professional video game tournaments can be considered sports. But honestly, I don’t think it matters. People already tune into ESPN to watch professional poker, so how is this much different? And with the amount of money that the Overwatch League and other eSports organizations stand to make, I don’t think the debate really matters to them either.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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