Esports: The Unstoppable Growth in India and Worldwide
Esports has gained a lot of popularity over the years in India. Earlier, gaming was considered a hobby and very few people thought about continuing their career in gaming. The advancement in technology, increase in smartphone use, and other factors contributed to the growth of esports. The rise of social media platforms has also been instrumental in increasing the popularity of esports.
Esports: India’s Growing Market and Global Impact
In the early 2000s, LAN gaming became popular in India. Later on, online gaming platforms and tournaments saw growth. Smartphones became cheaper and played an even bigger role in growth of esports. India’s esports market was valued at $40 million in 2023. This is likely to grow to $100 million by 2025.
Read Also: Women in Sports: The Surprising Growth in India and USA
Investment by sponsors in esports has led to this significant rise. Merchandise also plays a role in bringing revenue to the industry. Various live events have also attracted crowds on streaming platforms, indicating the popularity of the game.
The United States is the home to many organizations, popular personalities, and developers in esports. The government officially recognized esports in 2013. Now, the US is the second largest commercial market in the world behind China. Professional esports competitors applied for temporary worker P1A Visa. The visa was created solely to perform at a specific athletic competition.
There are a few colleges and industries that offer esports degrees in the US. They focus on Esports management or Business. Various competitions are organized at that level, promoting the growth of Esports.
Growth of mobile Esports
Earlier, Esports was only famous on platforms like PC and gaming consoles. However, over time, mobile esports have gained a lot of popularity in regions like Southeast Asia, Latin America, and India. Games like PUBG, Free Fire, and a few others had a significant increase in the number of consumers during the COVID pandemic. Mobile phones became more advanced with time and technology had a significant role in increasing the number of users.
In India, PUBG was banned and BGMI was released. Now, several professional gamers participate in tournaments at a national level. They represent Esports companies that are based in India and globally. Mobile esports have played a great role in the growth of the industry.
Olympic Esports Games 2025
Recently, it was announced that the International Olympic Committee has partnered with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Over time, there has been a massive growth in sports in Saudi Arabia. The country has hosted some of the biggest global sports events and attracted millions of fans. Overall sports participation has tripled to almost 50% since 2015. There are around 100 pro esports players pursuing full-time careers in Saudi Arabia.
IOC is set to create a new structure for Esports within the organization. This will be different from the organizational and financial model of the Olympic games.
Esports is on a significant rise in both regions. The US is more into developing games, while India lacks a bit in it. However, with the government recognizing esports, there is a high chance of more development in this area. As of now, this is one of the most popular industries in the world of sports.
