Hard as can be imagined for devotees of traditional sports leagues like NFL or NBA; E-sports, at the highest level, works the same way. In fact, this April the NBA held a draft for the launch of a new e-sports tournament focused on the basketball-themed 2K NBA game franchise.
In the draft, 102 professional e-sports players were chosen, with all the pomp and circumstances normally reserved for players on the field.
The university even got into action. More than 50 universities have varsity e-sports programs that are accredited by a regulator called Esleg Collegiate E-sports Association. The NACE Championship has earned thousands of dollars in prize money, which is reserved for scholarships for the winners.
Revenue of E-sport industry
It is a lucrative market, not only for players, but also for video game brands and manufacturers.
Madden 19 – game featured in the league in Jacksonville, is part of EA Madden Franchise. Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, EA Madden Franchise has sold more than 130 million units, with a total turnover of more than $4 billion.
E-sports players, unlike traditional athletes, can make a lot of money. Tournaments can boast millions of dollars in prize money, often divided among the members of the winning team. That means that the world’s top players can easily earn seven numbers in a year.
Teams and event organizers also benefit from ticket sales for these tournaments. Not to mention the League of Legends tournament held in 2017, it generated $5.5 million in ticket sales – a whopping number.
Following the live-action shoot-out at the tournament, EA Sports canceled three Madden Classic qualifying events to review safety protocols for competition participants and spectators, these safety regulations were introduced. according to the game publisher.
All players also earn money from sponsors, endorsements and tournament salaries. To achieve that, brands will invest $694 million in e-sports projects this year.