How Esports Saved The Day
While other sports are down and out, this sport is soaring. This isn’t your mama’s Mario Kart.
Even with a massive fan base, this sport requires no social distancing.
It’ll blow your mind,
The Last Night’s Game Team
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
All The Cool Kids Are Doing It - 5 Things You Need To Know About Esports
The NBA is launching its esports league this week. Therefore, we're keeping you in the know on the sport that’s all the rage and slowly taking over the world.
The NBA is launching its esports league this week. Therefore, we're keeping you in the know on the sport that’s all the rage and slowly taking over the world.
Never stop learning,
The Last Night’s Game Team
5 Things You Need To Know About Esports
1. Esports are based on multiplayer video games. Professional gamers play in tournaments and online. Online play will attract over 100,000 viewers who watch through Twitch, owned by Amazon (which is where you can also watch NBA 2K live), 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. 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).
3. Corporations are following the trend. 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. WHY RED BULL?
4. The NBA (National Basketball Association) is making history as the first North American major professional sports league to have its own esports league, which starts Friday. The NBA 2k League features the best players of the NBA 2k video game. SCHEDULE & MORE
5. In the case of NBA 2K, the players can make between $32,000 - $37,000. Not only are they paid generously for their six-month contract but they receive funds to relocate to whichever town they’re playing for. Living arrangements, health insurance and a retirement plan are also perks of the gig. We may need to consider a career change. MAKING BANK
Still not convinced of the esports phenomenon? A gamer named Ninja, leads all athletes worldwide in social media engagement, beating athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Shaq. RANKINGS
What’s on tap today?
Now that you’re caught up with what the cool kids are doing, here’s what everyone will be talking about today including the Met Gala, a first for a long-time star and why you’re going to need your passport in 2019. READ