Do eSports Really Count as Sports?

eSports are growing fast, with more than 500 million people watching events this year and around half of them describing themselves as “enthusiasts”. But despite this ever-expanding interest, can eSports really be considered actual sports?

Check the Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary describes sport as activities that require “physical exertion AND skill” where individuals or teams compete against each other.

We can say categorically that eSports require skill as, while it’s every gamer’s dream to be able to play their favourite titles for a living, only a minority actually get to realise it.

This is very much like traditional physical sports. For example, there are millions that dream of making it as a star quarterback in the NFL, but only a handful move into the league in each draft, and only one or two of them become legends.

However, there is some debate about whether eSports require physical exertion. Certainly, professional eSports athletes include physical exercise into their training regimes to prevent strain while they play, and games require strong hand-eye coordination.

eSports Betting

For many fans, betting on sports games is a big part of the experience. It’s a way for them to challenge their knowledge and ability to use it to predict the outcomes of games and seasons.

The same is true about fans of eSports. In fact, many of the same sportsbooks offer odds on these markets through the same websites and apps. Even sites like OddsChecker, which collate free bet offers so punters can get the best value from their wagering, have dedicated sections for eSports.

The Fan Experience

The fan experience is very similar across traditional sports and eSports. Both combine a mixture of television and/or internet broadcasting with in-person attendance of spectators.

At the moment, eSports are typically cheaper (or free) to watch whereas more established sports leagues can be pricier. However, we can expect this to change over time as the market for eSports becomes more established and mature.

Finances

We all know that sport is big business. A lot of noise is often made about the eye-watering sums that athletes are paid, but we don’t always think about where their salaries come from.

The reality is that it flows from the money paid by fans to watch games on TV and the sponsors who want to get their brands in front of these spectators. Every team and most athletes have their own sponsorship and endorsement deals that require them to display certain logos, wear certain products, or attend certain events.

The same is also true about eSports. In fact, many companies that invest in sports contracts also pay for deals with eSports teams. Some of these names include Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Intel, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz.

Based on all of these elements, it seems pretty clear that eSports are, indeed, sports. While they may not require quite as much physical exertion as football or tennis, neither does snooker and that’s considered a sport.