Anybody who is anybody now knows and (probably) loves the trend that is streaming, and what a big trend this has become in recent years. Who wants to download a bunch of stuff they’re never going to watch or listen to again to their phone or computer, clogging up the memory and leaving themselves with the unenviable task of clearing it out every few months? No, streaming is where it’s at, and when it comes to esports, streaming’s pretty much part of the fabric - this vast gaming world would be almost nothing without the ability to stream!
Platforms like Twitch and YouTube are obvious starting points, but you’ve also got more niche options, and there’s been an explosion in usage in recent years, with gamers and their watchers flocking to these platforms with gusto! What was almost unheard of just a few decades ago (you watch somebody else play video games from your couch??) is now mainstream and thoroughly enjoyed - but why do esports depend so heavily on streaming for their success? Let’s check it out!
1) Audience Awareness
Esports really only exist the way they do because of the spectators - if we weren’t watching, these matches would probably still happen, but they wouldn’t get a tenth of the hype or buzz around them, and they wouldn’t be successful! In fact, a lot of esports definitions recognize that there’s a pretty important spectator element: while it might still be an esport if nobody was watching, that’s debatable - and it would certainly be a very different kind!
Esports depend heavily on streaming because it lets them connect with those audiences and start making waves; people from all over the world tune in to watch big esports tournaments, just like they do with physical sports such as soccer and basketball. Okay, so esports are a lot newer than either of those, but there’s not really any question that it’s here to stay, and its fans may be even more avid than soccer fans (we did say might!).
If it wasn’t for streaming platforms, audiences would be a lot more limited: how many people do you think would show up to watch a League of Legends tournament in your local town, compared with how many shows up to a soccer game? No; esports depend on having a global audience, and that’s just what these streaming platforms give them. We’re not complaining!
Often, it’s very much a numbers game, and that’s what streaming provides - numbers! It’s also ramped up the hype and given esports a vast pool of bettors, all hankering to put their money down on their lucky team and itching to see them take home the trophy in a blaze of glory. That’s why esports betting is so massive these days; all the fans want a piece of the matches and an opportunity to fatten up their wallets when their top player makes a big win!
2) Money Money Money
Obviously, the money side of things is important whatever kind of game you’re playing, and you might be flabbergasted by how much money some gamers rake in during matches. Like physical sportsmen, they can be paid enormous amounts and lots of tournaments offer big prize pools, but that’s not all that they’ve got going for them - there are some other great sources of green too.
Streaming is a major one: if you’re a good player with a charismatic approach to gaming, you don’t even have to be in the tournaments to make big bucks (although it can help). Streamers for all kinds of games get big money for showcasing their playstyle online, often through things like Twitch Subscriptions and affiliate programs. There are also donations, and some players really rake in the cash from generous watchers, who appreciate them providing entertainment hour after hour. It’s a pretty lucrative business for some!
And none of that would exist without streaming. Sure, you could capture a video of yourself playing and upload it online for others to download, but would anybody actually do it? We don’t think so - it lacks that immediacy that we expect online - it’s too slow and too clunky. We want everything to be right there in front of us, and that’s what streaming provides.
Wrap Up
Streaming is topical for a whole bunch of reasons right now - it doesn’t matter whether you’re into gardening, gambling, gaming, or home decor - you can find people streaming it and talking about it. The community is huge, and esports is just one small part of it, but without streaming, we don’t think esports would be anywhere close to the heights it has reached today. Thanks to platforms like Twitch and YouTube, gaming has gone from niche and nerd to mainstream and major - and nobody’s complaining, because that’s made games more available to us than ever before.