E-Sports is the Future of Indian Event Industry

Internationally, video games are a massive and highly profitable industry with annual revenues that far exceed those of Hollywood and Bollywood combined. With the inclusion of smartphones into the fold of ‘electronic gaming’, the industry has an audience ranging anywhere between 2.2 and 2.6 billion, which is almost 1/3rd of all human beings alive today. With games like PUBG, Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Battlefield frequently transcending the internet chat rooms to become parts of popular culture, and Grand Theft Auto V becoming the most financially successful media product in human history, the world is beginning to take what was once a simple pastime, very seriously.

Video gaming in India, once the indulgence of the affluent, is now, thanks to the advent of smartphones a very popular hobby with the general population. Forbes estimates that the industry’s value in India is currently worth USD 890 million, and will surpass the USD 1 billion milestone by 2020 with 628 million active ‘gamers’. These statistics are so compelling that the number of game developers in India has grown from 25 in 2010 to over 250 in 2018.

The enormous scope and popularity of video game in foreign countries have given rise to competitions called e-sports. They are essentially tournaments similar in structure to a football championship where individual gamers or teams compete against each other at video games. While they may seem like a trivial or niche sort of gathering, they are anything but that. ESPN estimates that by 2022 more than 425 million people will be watching e-sports events on television and online, while prize money at some of the more prestigious tournaments regularly exceed USD 100,000 Tournaments such as The International, Intel Extreme Master, and the Evolution Championship Series see annual footfalls in the thousands, with game like Dota and Dota 2, Counter Strike, Call Of Duty, and Hearthstone dominating the sport.

While e-sports in India are still in their infancy, given their sheer size, scope, profitability, and entertainment value it is only a matter of time before they grow to become a legitimate sport. If the success of Pro Kabaddi or Comic-Con are any indication, even relatively new concepts can see much success in India, provided they receive an initial push. It is for this reason that an initial investment into e-sports events will be necessary, but if the statistics and historical precedents are to be believed, the returns will be enormous. Here are a few reasons why e-sports will be a highly successful venture in India:

High Footfalls

Owing to the growing popularity of video games, e-sports events are guaranteed to attract thousands of gamers and game enthusiasts alike. The gaming community is closely knit and highly supportive of such events meaning hosts can conservatively expect footfalls in the thousands, depending upon the size of the venue and scale of pre-event promotions.

High Viewership

The gaming community is very tech savvy, and ‘live streams’ of e-sports tournaments often receive online views in the millions. Any well organised event by an Indian event agency will likely receive online traction similar to major sporting events.

Magnet for Sponsors

E-gaming tournaments are popular with sponsors, particularly companies looking to target youth who make up a disproportionate number of viewers and attendees. Just some of the industries that flock to be a part of e-sports events are tech, telecom, auto, FMCG, Fashion and of course the video game industry itself.

E-sports is the future of entertainment in India and it would be wise for the event industry to cash in on this investment opportunity of a generation rather than let it slip through their hands.

( Suprit Karkera, Business Head – IP and Events, Dome Entertainment Pvt Ltd, a Cineyug Enterprise )