How Esports Saved The Day
While other sports are down and out, this sport is soaring. This isn’t your mama’s Mario Kart.
(Podcast length 4:35 - transcript is below)
Even with a massive fan base, this sport requires no social distancing. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Sports Curious presented by Last Night's Game, is here to take the awkward out of conversation and help you join the sports conversation, even if you don't know the first thing about sports. We breakdown what's happening in sports in an easy to understand, fun way without all of the statistics and jargon so you never have to exit stage left when the chatter at the office, dinner table or a networking event switches to sports.
You can always catch us between podcasts at www.lastnightsgame.com or on social media. If you love us, make sure to leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
[Transcript]
1. Esports are based on multiplayer video games. The profession as we know it started off in a league of their own, but traditional sports leagues have jumped on the bandwagon (see below). Professional gamers play in tournaments and online. Online play will attract over 100,000 viewers who watch through Twitch, owned by Amazon, or YouTube. If you think that’s odd, on Sundays we all gather around to watch guys play football on TV. SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT
2. Last year, people watched 6.6 billion hours of esports videos worldwide. The best part is that competition often doesn’t require hand washing or social distancing. Tournaments are often dictated by the game (i.e. Call of Duty) or esports gaming leagues (i.e. NBA 2K or Major League Gaming). Games are categorized by PC (computer) or console (i.e. Xbox). THESE GROWTH NUMBERS ARE CRAZY
3. Everyone wants a piece of the sport. Players resemble race car drivers with sponsor logos all over their tournament clothes. Coke and Nissan are on board and Red Bull has a massive portfolio of esports teams. And these players are making a ton of money, with the top three players in the world pulling in $3.16M in prize earnings last year. If that's not enough, universities are now offering esports scholarships. THIS AIN’T YOUR MAMA’S MARIO KART
4. This week the NBA (National Basketball Association) will launch a NBA 2k (a video game) tournament featuring 16 NBA players in a 10-day video game tournament that will air on ESPN. The league is hoping to bring “live basketball” back to your living room since we’re all feeling the void of professional sports. HITTING THE HARDWOOD
5. F1 (Formula One), MLB (Major League Baseball) and NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) are all jumping on board with leagues of their own. NASCAR broke its own viewership records with their new eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – real drivers racing on real racetracks…virtually. The series is being covered live on Fox Sports. LET’S GO CRAZY
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5 Things You Need To Know About The Fastest Weekend Of The Year
Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.
Hold onto your hats because we’re about to set the world on fire with the Circuit of the Americas Formula One race and the New York City Marathon both on the same day.
Sports Curious presented by Last Night's Game, is here to help you join the sports conversation, even if you don't know the first thing about sports. We breakdown what's happening in sports in an easy to understand, fun way without all of the statistics and jargon so you never have to exit stage left when the chatter at the office, dinner table or a networking event switches to sports.
You can always catch us between podcasts at www.lastnightsgame.com and make sure to leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
[Transcript]
1. The first New York City Marathon took place in 1970 with 55 runners. Last year more than 100,000 runners applied to run in the race with only 15% accepted. That acceptance rate is lower than most elite colleges. This year if you’re a Michelob Ultra fan and can prove you’re environmentally friendly, you might qualify for one of the 95 entries that the beer is handing out. Or if you’re a celebrity, you’re in. POUNDING THE PAVEMENT FOR MOTHER EARTH
2. Women were barred from road races for a decade but in the Marathon’s third year, six women took their rightful places in the race. The AAU, the then-governing body of marathons, had previously squashed the idea of women running in marathons. It was considered a health risk for women to run distances as their uterus might fall out along with a host of other medical disasters. LADIES TAKE YOUR PLACE AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE
3. The F1 (Formula One) race takes place in Austin on Sunday . It’s the only F1 race in the U.S. and is known as the “Circuit of the Americas.” And if going fast doesn’t do it for you, each night of racing is followed by a concert. This year’s shows feature P!NK and Imagine Dragons. ROCK ON
4. F1 has always been a global sport with a massive international following, but expect to see more about F1 in the states because U.S. based Liberty Media is now the main stakeholder, buying in at a mere $4.4 billion. There have been talks about expanding the races to other U.S. cities outside of Austin including Las Vegas and Miami. COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU
5. Last season’s overall winner, Lewis Hamilton is looking to win his sixth championship in Austin. He’s the sport’s most recognizable current driver and is known for his time behind the wheel, big diamond earrings, his famous ex-girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls) and his Instagram famous bulldogs, Roscoe and Coco, that are raking in the international followers. BULLDOGS THAT DRIVE FAST? YES PLEASE.