It was only a matter of time before eSports made its way to the Olympics. There is now a strong possibility that gaming will feature in the Brisbane 2032 Olympics after local Australian IOC (International Olympic Committee) convened and spoke about the popularity of eSports and the importance of getting the younger generation to buy into the Olympic dream.
In recent years the IOC has put on its thinking hats and tried to revitalize the Olympics. They have experimented with non-traditional sports such as surfing, skateboarding, and BMX. The IOC has tried to add sports that appeal to the youth. They have been monitoring eSports for a number of years and have identified the massive growth in spectators. With almost 500 million global viewers in 2021, the IOC can’t afford to ignore eSports forever! Also, with professional eSports gamers now making millions (view the eSports rich list on GetEsports.net), kids are now just as likely to dream about becoming the next N0tail as they are about becoming the next Ronaldo.
The IOC has just signed a new rule which gives the host city special powers to select new Olympic sports. These sports could feature as a one-off or be added to the permanent roster. While the Brisbane Olympic committee has not officially decided on adding eSports, they have specifically mentioned they are on a shortlist of sports and, due to their explosion in popularity and global appeal, are a front runner.
What Does the IOC Think of eSports?
For a number of years, the IOC had a negative opinion of eSports. They were not considered an athletic event and were viewed similarly to chess which relied on the mind more than the body. However, recently the IOC has done an about-turn, mostly spurred on by a desire to increase Olympic revenue. eSports have experienced tremendous growth, and if the IOC is serious about growing the Olympics, they need to include events that appeal to the youth.
In the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics, the IOC decided to trial eSports by hosting a series of events. There were virtual auto racing, baseball, cycling, rowing, and sailing competitions. The IOC is planning to further test eSports in a festival held in Singapore in 2023. If the event is a success, you could see your favorite gamers competing for gold!
Why Are eSports Not in the Olympics?
eSports are a relevantly new discipline. Serious eSports competitions have been around for less than 20 years, while other sports have existed for over 100 or 1000s years. eSports has some serious catching up to do if they want to become as established as their competitors. Also, the Olympics has traditionally featured sports that are mostly physical in nature; strategic and mind sports have never made the cut. Even though Chess was designated a sport by the IOC in 1999, it never made it to the Olympics. It would be a significant break from protocol to include eSports in the Olympics.
However, eSports explosive growth combined with the IOC’s desire to increase viewership and revenue has led to the IOC seriously considering adding eSports, and with the global esports market worth over $1 billion, we don’t blame them!
How Does the IOC Choose Olympic Sports?
When choosing Olympics sports, the IOC looks at whether a sport can generate advertising revenue, its popularity, its international appeal, simplicity, whether it possesses a governing body, and whether it is in spirit with the Olympic code of conduct.
As we can see, eSports ticks some of these boxes but not all. eSports have the power to generate massive advertising revenue. Gamers are a highly engaged audience, and with an average age of 31 and being mostly male, rs are willing to spend big to target this key demographic. The eSports market is already worth $1 billion and is expected to grow over 60% by 2024.
eSports is extremely popular and has a diverse fan base from all over the world. There are already tournaments held around the world, and eSports have fanatic fans all over Europe, Asia, and the US. It is estimated that there will be 500 million global eSports fans in 2022.
eSports has a few problems preventing it from featuring in the Olympics. As the games are virtual, there is a lack of athleticism that many Olympic viewers expect. The rules can be confusing for new viewers, and many of the most popular games are first-person shooters, which the Olympics may not allow because they don’t want to promote violence and war.
Even though eSports face some hurdles in getting into the Olympics, the IOC can not afford to ignore such a massive sport with a rabid international fan base. If the IOC is serious about keeping the Olympics popular, it will have to at least trial eSports in the Games!