Much like traditional sports, esports has seen a surge in interest over the past few years, with competitive gamers and streaming professionals showing intense interest in its growth. The application of esports in the ever-evolving world of streaming and broadcast could have potentially industry-shifting ramifications, offering a new and exciting method of consuming spectator fuelled content for a growing demand-driven audience.While many people have never heard of esports, it’s likely to become a huge revenue driver in 2025 – but what is it, and why is it becoming so important to the broadcast and media industry?
Esports has many similarities to real-life spectator sports, except it focuses on competitive gaming across a multitude of devices such as consoles, mobile devices and PCs. Popular esports games include League of Legends, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Counter-Strike, FIFA, Street Fighter and many more, with professional esports gamers engaging in human-on-human matches aspart of esports tournaments. As part of the sport, professional teams will be assigned coaches, analysts and managers to craft an efficient competition strategy and train the players for a better chance of winning the cash prize.
The spectator element of esports has drawn the attention of broadcasters and streaming service providers around the world, with many looking towards esports as a driver for consumer demand and revenue generation in the years to come. Needless to say, the future for esports is looking pretty bright, with a few highlights standing out as the ones to watch in 2025.
Advances in technology developed in recent years, including AI, contextual advertising and AR/XR capabilities offer more complex, immersive experiences for both competitive esports players and spectators enjoying the sport from the sidelines. The devices in which we stream content from, such as gaming consoles, mobile devices and PCs are evolving at a rapid rate, promising faster processing power, more realistic graphics and enhanced connectivity for multiplayer gaming with augmented reality possibilities in the near future.
As technologies like AI, machine learning and automation become more embedded in our content workflows and broadcast solutions, the real possibility of AI-driven esports tournaments and gaming workflows is becoming apparent. This could not only change the way we consume esports content, but also the infrastructure of the broadcast and media industry as a whole. The inclusion of AI in the already popular esports genre has real and applicable possibilities for a more engaging, personalised and efficient esports workflow in online tournaments and streamed events.
Additionally, many content providers and broadcasters agree that the future of esports lies in its capabilities for monetisation. Online esports tournaments offer a plethora of interactive ad formats and revenue generation strategies that not only run efficiently but also add a layer of hyper-targeting and personalisation to the way we consume ads in live streaming events. New opportunities for contextual advertising in esports, such as interactive ads, offer a world beyond traditional static ads designed for linear broadcast, allowing for brands to create increasingly immersive experiences with the inclusion of polls, games and exclusive content as part of esports tournaments. This provides additional opportunities for content providers and streaming services to build deeper relationships among viewers and increase engagement with esports content, therefore driving additional revenue.
It’s not all easy sailing though, as esports does present a variety of challenges in an ever-evolving industry for broadcast, media and streaming. As can be expected with esports tournaments, much like live sports events, even the smallest delays can disrupt gameplay and disturb the viewing experience for spectators on the other side of an esports stream. This makes the task of streaming esports tournaments rather risky, as the workflow relies entirely on highly efficient and cost-effective solutions to run smoothly.
As the broadcast and media industry learns more about the application of low latency and consistently high-quality content distribution, esports will undoubtedly grow alongside this at a rapid rate, however the challenges associated with latency may currently present an issue for esports distribution in the near future. Having said this, the on-demand, live and interactive nature of esports provides an unseen capability for content providers to prioritise technological advancement and agility, changing with the needs of esports professionals and audiences.
In esports, much like live events streaming, success comes from reaching the right scale and achieving a rich variety across devices and platforms. As the success of esports grows and becomes more popular, the richness across markets, geographies and devices will attract bigger audiences and growth opportunities. Cloud technology has already started on the road to reshaping esports, alongside live events, utilising live feeds and cloud workflows for a modern and engaging approach to content distribution.
Increasingly media workflows are being created and run in the cloud, with more content being distributed, stored and edited in one workflow than ever before. Esports is taking this a step further, by extending this workflow into an engaging and audience-centric monetisation model. Having always had roots in cloud-based content distribution, esports is designed for efficient, high-quality content workflows, making it perfect for a new wave of interest. With inclusivity and engagement at its centre, esports brings fans together from across a multitude of devices, platforms and continents.
To be the correct choice for esports content distribution, your cloud solution needs to prioritise low latency and high-quality content. Without these key aspects of your infrastructure, the content might lag and miss essential moments in an esports tournament, which for spectators could be a make or break moment.
At Veset, we specialise in cloud playout and delivery – and it’s no secret that the world of content is quickly switching towards live streaming. While Veset Nimbus and Veset AdWise are the perfect partners for linear TV and broadcast, they are also ideal for live streaming such as live events, esports tournaments, charity fundraisers and more. Nimbus is the intuitive all in one cloud playout management platform designed to streamline professional operations, prioritising cloud scalability, reliability and flexibility. AdWise is the innovative cloud-based solution designed to transform live broadcasting through in-video advertising. AdWise utilises picture-in-picture technology to seamlessly integrate live stream ads, allowing you to make the wise monetisation decision for your streaming workflows without compromising on quality.
Want to know more about our range of cloud playout and monetisation solutions and how they can be a valuable asset to your live streaming, or esports workflow? You can see Veset at NAB Show Las Vegas from 6th-9th April, Booth W1332 - Book a Meeting.
