Why an eSports Agency Matters to Your Marketing?
When you think about crowd sports, what normally comes to mind? Filled football stadiums and baseball parks, fans cheering on their favourite athletes as they compete for a trophy, or cup, or simply glory and admiration? Well, with new electronic technology becoming more and more prevalent, activity is adapting in turn. The rise of video gaming as a nationally- and internationally presented competitive event has largely gone unrecognized in the area of worldwide sports, but it is, surprisingly, extremely popular. Thanks to easy and instant media such as YouTube and Twitch, and even network television outlets like ESPN, esports boasts audience figures as high as 427 million (as of 2019), and that means esports agencies ( drumroll/eSports-Agency ) are abundant, too.
The industry is then, naturally, highly lucrative for professional competitive gamers. The industry purports to be worth $1.5 billion in 2020, and prize pools estimated at approximately $24 million. With that much on the line, you need an esports agency.
What Is eSports, Exactly?
To put it simply, eSports (short for Electronic Sports) is the name given to the sport of competitive electronic gaming. While competitive gaming has been around since about 1980, eSports wasn't recognized as an established industry until 2006, when the first tournament for Halo 2 was broadcast on USA network. The industry ballooned in about 2011, with the establishment of the streaming application Twitch. Since then, there have been a multitude of elaborate tournaments in various games that pack arenas worldwide, and the transition from amateur competition to professional showdowns. Esports agencies have stepped in to help during this boom.
Compared to other professional sports, the eSports industry is remarkably easy to access; in theory, anybody with enough skill at a certain video game could make it in. In practice, only the greatest gamers in the world can qualify for eSports events, making them, among the gamer community, worldwide celebrities. The range of salaries for professional eSports gamers ranges from the tens of thousands well into the millions. The highest-paid pro gamer in 2019 netted nearly $6.9 million, thanks to his esports agency.
Each event focuses on a specific game. The game with the highest prize pot over time has been Dota 2, with winnings exceeding $200 million. Other competitions notable for high payouts are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Fortnite, each of whom awarded $84 million in prize money, respectively.
In The Arena Of Professional eSports - Choosing An eSports Agency.
Like any celebrated personality, professional gamers rely on esports agencies to broker on their behalf. In sum, an eSports agent acts as a conduit between the gamer and everything involved in establishing the competition, from public relations to contract negotiations to advertising, promotion, booking, and notably, wage negotiation. An agent must be privy to not only the stats and exploits of the gamer he or she represents, but to the ins and outs of the industry. This is an eminently difficult task. In contrast to branded sports like the NFL and the NBA, which have a systemic culture with rules and regulations, to date, eSports does not have such a brand, so the industry is fragmented, meaning agents will always have to be ahead of the curve due to a lack of agreed-upon regulations.
However, the demand for professional gamers will only grow as the industry gets more and more popular, meaning a heightened demand for eSports agents will necessarily follow. It is important, then, that an eSports agent - like any agent - have a set of skills suited for the task: industry connections, analytics and trend knowledge, an assertive (almost aggressive) demeanor, and cunning negotiation skills.
A reliable esports agency ( www.drumroll.com/about ) should have all the tools to make sure the professional gamer gets the highest payouts and the best booking possible. The are a necessary part of a gamer's rise and career.