For eSports we mean all the events of video gamesvideo games accessible online – and not only, contrary to popular belief, around sports simulations. In other words, a continuous competition League of Legends (arenaarena battle online) is considered eSports in the same way as FIFA (soccer).
The phenomenon of multiplayer competitive experiments is very old. Already in 1972 the University of Oxford had organized a tournament with 24 players: The intergalactic space wareach connected to the same computercomputer PDP-10. However, it was only in the early 1980s, when Atari arcade terminals multiplied on American soil and this company released its first console, the VCS, to see worldwide success.d competition on a national scale: 10,000 players challenged each other on the phenomenon of the game Space Invaders Championshipguy happy ending since the seventies.
With the Internet, duels appear in real time
Since 1994, InternetInternet somehow interferes in homes. The occasion is too tempting for players of all ages who discover the excitement of online competitions, accessible from home. Doom and Quake will accustom millions of improvised shooters to chase each other through the labyrinth of sickening basements.
At the turn of the millennium, the first large-scale competitions, such as the Global cybergames 2001 organized in South Korea, and which brings together protagonists from the four corners of the globe.
Players, but also their fans, love these real-time duels and this desire is gradually being reinforced by platforms such as Youtube Live or Twitch. eSports metamorphosismetamorphosis in a real industry of its own, which exceeded one billion dollars in 2020. Some champions have become real stars, such as the French apexapex or ZywOoo.
At the end of April 2022 Newzoo published a report in the global esports and live streaming market. The institute estimates that the public annualannual would be 532 million viewers with a total revenue of 1.38 billion dollars.
On September 11, 2022, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron himself announced on his Twitter account the holding of two major eSports tournaments, for the first time in France:
- Blast.tv Major Counter-Strike with a final at the Accor Arena in Bercy in 2023;
- the racing game Track Mania games in 2024.
This announcement signified a form of official recognition for this domain. Especially since in June 2022 the Head of State had already received several French eSports players at the Elysée.
The “major” competition (the highest level of the genre) of counterattackcounterattack in Paris in 2023 is an initiative by Blast, a Danish start-up that stands out for the organization of events live on a large scale, in arenas that can accommodate at least 10,000 people, in big cities: Copenhagen, London, Lisbon, Sao Paulo, Abu Dhabi… they can follow these matches on the Web, especially on https://blast.tv
Contraction
Twitch appeared at the beginning of the 2010s, with the ambition of facilitating the “live” experience of internet users playing a specific game. Optimized for real-time streaming, Twitch has quickly won over thrill-seekers.
Twitch’s early rise is due in part to the fantastic allure of three multiplayer titles: League of LegendsDota 2 and SpaceshipSpaceship 2. Powered by this wavewave, in 2013, Twitch saw its user count reach 45 million. Always looking for opportunities to be seized, Jeff BezosJeff Bezosthe head ofAmazoniaAmazoniahe absorbed Twitch with a firm step.
Starting in 2019, it’s Fortnite’s turn to invite myriads of mavericks into its colorful matrix. There Fortnite World Cup brings together nearly 2.3 million connected people (including some on YoutubeYoutube live). It’s true that the reward is enough to make more than one person salivate: $3 million! So much so as to arouse many vocations.
THE data presented by Statista on Twitch they make you dizzy:
- 5.8 billion hours watched in the third half of 2021, more than double the time spent on YouTube Gaming Live and FacebookFacebook Playing together;
- 136 million viewers in 2021.
If the majority of Twitch channels are dedicated to the explorations of Internet users on solo gaming, the main publishers of the sector such as EA or BlizzardBlizzard regularly organize large-scale competitions. Connecting to Twitch is a breeze from a computer. Just type: https://twitch.tv/
On tablets or phones mobile phonesmobile phonesthis service is available through a applicationapplication available on GoogleGoogle Play or Apple shopshop. Lots of offers streamstream, like Amazon Prime, offer application download. Twitch is also on the schedule of many Smart TVsSmart TVs.
A large number of Twitch channels are accessible in French and this includes other types of events: news channels, live concerts…
Renamed Mgg
In 2018, a new channel appeared on the French television scene: ES1. Fresh, relaxed, it offers a wide range of programs on the eSport phenomenon with a multitude of homemade reports. However, its primary purpose is to broadcast eSports competitions, both “live” for those organized on our territory, and deferred for international events. In 2022 it was renamed MGG.
It is well known that the thrill of a competition lies in part in the emotions of real time. Hence the question: is there an amateur audience for repeat broadcasts? Oh yeah ! explains MGG founder Bertrand Amar, a longtime video game journalist: “ Many races take place at times when the French sleep. On MGG they will then be able to see the Replays at the desired time “.
MGG already boasts 1.1 million viewers a month and more than 100,000 gather every Sunday. MGG is accessible as standard from your internet boxinternet box on Bouygues, SFR, Freebox and, from October 2022, Orange subscriptions. You will find it on the following channel numbers:
- Channel+: 159/169
- Orange: 140 (or 142)
- Bouygues: 68
- Free: 91
- FR: 120
- Videofuture: 61
The channel is also accessible on Molotov and Amazon Prime.
The video game sports channel also has its web counterpart at: https://www.millenium.org/. Those who venture into the information at the bottom of the page will be surprised to find that the site of this “locally hip” start-up has variationsvariations in Spain, Brazil and even on Yankee soil!
An evolving business model
The situation of eSports is reminiscent of the pioneering days of the Web, when it was fashionable to ask about them geysersgeysers the information had to be free. A childish vision of the economy that sent most of the startups of the late 90s to bite the dust. What remains is that Twitch and MGG have in common that they do not demand the slightest cent for access to their entertainment catalogues.
Let’s face it: such a situation cannot last indefinitely. If for now most of the big names in video games are primarily looking to establish their brand in this developing market, it is certain that once the genre is established, the main competitions will become profitable or accessible. through subscriptions, just like sport on Canal+.
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