Will Coronavirus Lockdown Bring Audiences Inside to Esports?
Hard to believe it’s only a few weeks ago that society was still running normally. The broader impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has spread even faster than the virus itself, barricading most of the world in our homes and closing down huge swathes of businesses and live events as a result.
Even the juggernaut of major league sports has had to bow to the human reality of players falling ill or threatening to spread coronavirus at widely-used facilities.
The NBA, NCAA, NHL, XFL and soccer leagues around the world have taken unprecedented action to cancel all games. The NFL and MLB are already starting to push back their starting dates, but with no idea of how long this state of emergency might last, their future is also uncertain.
Individual sports like tennis, NASCAR, golf and cycling have also had to cancel, as these events simply require too many personnel to justify under current conditions. So far Japan’s government has remained steadfast that the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead as planned, but that may end up a hollow gesture if major nations refuse to send their teams abroad.
Some sports tried to push on in empty stadiums, but eventually had to accept cancellation.
For the average fan, it’s especially crushing that this universal “cancellation of sports” comes at a time when many of us are also suddenly housebound - when we are most in need of the excitement and camaraderie pro sports can provide. But there is an easy replacement streaming to your home right now. And it’s one that new audiences, captured by the quarantine, are already starting to wake up to.
Esports, the modern, mega-budget incarnation of competitive video gaming is already watched by millions of dedicated fans every day. The world’s most popular games regularly hold massive stadium events and generate huge money through top-flight corporate sponsorships, on a par with almost anything in traditional sports.
When you peel away the novelty of treating games as an “athletic pursuit”, it’s immediately obvious that esports hits the same emotional notes and can have the same broad appeal as any other league - and unlike the rest of them, esports is still running through the pandemic.
The esports industry has certainly taken an early hit from COVID-19. Almost all live stadium events have fallen victim to corona-cancellation, and broadcast productions have been downscaled to try and minimize health risks. This is hurting cashflow and creating some anxiety for the teams and especially tournament organizations involved.
But as this crisis moves forward and we all begin to adapt, esports has some clear room to maneouvre and present a high-level product that other sports simply don’t. It’s hard to play a game of basketball or line up for an NFL scrimmage without coming within 6 feet of other players. Teammates in League of Legends or Counter-Strike can play an entire season from different continents, and it can still be streamed live with professional commentary and presentation.
In fact, this is how a majority of esports events in history have been run, and the skills to do so are very much still present in the industry. Esports will be the first entertainment of its kind to rebound from this disaster, and there’s no better time to be offering live streaming entertainment.
It’s not just that esports is able to remain consistent in a time of great uncertainty - it’s that the traditional barriers limiting its audience are starting to fall away. For years, the industry struggled to find a way to reach TV audiences, limited to internet streaming strongholds like Amazon-owned Twitch.tv. But the pandemic has accelerated the shift of audiences towards these streaming platforms, as quarantined Americans start to investigate their entertainment options.
Verizon has already announced an increase in overall streaming activity since the virus scare began, along with a whopping 75% increase in video game use. Dismissive attitudes towards gaming have always kept potential viewers at arms length from esports, but now that it’s the only game in town we’re beginning to see people converted.
This process was already underway prior to the virus changing our sporting landscape. Clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and the Dallas Cowboys have invested in esports teams under their global brands. The NBA, NFL and even FIFA have promoted the sports video games which feature their leagues, legitimizing them to the traditional sports audience.
Another big factor is the players themselves - many athletes, being in a younger cohort, are gamers themselves. MMA champions, NFL stars and pro ballers stream themselves playing on Twitch in their downtime, quietly inviting sports fans to give gaming another look. Now that their day job is on hold, the mainstream news cycle around these athletes is likely to focus more on their Twitch escapades.
All of this is perfectly captured by this one short clip, taken from the gaming stream of Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker. Booker was streaming the massive new game Call of Duty: Warzone, playing with esports celebrity and team owner Matt “Nadeshot” Haag; in front of some 90,000 viewers, his in-game buddies breathlessly informed him that the NBA season had just been cancelled.
It’s a moment with serious ramifications for the young star, and there’s a solemn pause that falls over the virtual gunfire and explosions. But Booker’s business partner Nadeshot is the fastest to find his feet again and suggest a way he can keep his personal brand ticking over.
“Aight man, hop on the jet, come down to the [esports team 100 Thieves] compound - let’s get this Warzone grind on!”
I can only expect that we’ll see more and more teams, players and fans from these cancelled sports leagues taking Nadeshot’s advice as our shared period of self-isolation continues. And as the displaced eyes and sponsorship flow down to the esports industry, we are likely to see one area of solid growth amidst the global shutdown.