Esports is a flourishing global industry where skilled video gamers play similarly. In the same way that traditional sports have competitions in baseball, basketball, and football, esports encompasses competitions across a variety of video games. Contrary to common perception, esports is not simply a phenomenon occurring in the basements of unemployed twentysomethings; the industry is real, growing globally, and investable. In fact, over 380 million people watch esports worldwide both online and in person. More people watched the 2016 world finals of popular esports game League of Legends (43 million viewers) than the NBA Finals Game 7 that year (31 million viewers). With its fragmented landscape and digital platform, the esports sector holds promise for a multitude of monetization opportunities.

Esports marketing specially Esports short for “electronic sports,” transforms online gaming into a spectator sport. The experience is similar to watching a professional sporting event, except that instead of watching a physical event, spectators watch video gamers compete against each other in a virtual environment. If it’s hard to imagine why anyone would watch somebody else playing a video game, just think about how enjoyable it is to watch Lebron James or Steph Curry play basketball. Just as traditional sports fans enjoy watching top athletes perform at the top of their craft, the same is true of those who watch top video gamers compete.

An esports market research organization, in 2017, the audience of esports will reach a total of roughly 385 million people globally. Of this figure, 191 million are “esports enthusiasts” and 194 million are “occasional viewers.” The number of enthusiasts is projected to grow by 50% by 2020, totaling 286 million.

In the past, people thought that the craze of competitive video gaming was primarily an Asian phenomenon, yet today only 51% of esports enthusiasts are in Asia. In fact, North America and Europe have taken a prominent place in the global esports and gaming ecosystem.