Esports is undoubtedly here to stay. With multiple titles up for competition and professional teams ready to play, it’s now one of the most exciting aspects of modern sports. But what truly brings it to life are its fans.
Fans are the lifeblood of esports. Their unwavering loyalty and support for their favorite games and teams drive viewership numbers as well as ticket and merchandise sales, offering multiple brand opportunities that make esports an especially lucrative industry worth billions of dollars. And with a GlobalData report expecting the world’s esports audience to grow to a whopping 318 million by 2025, the momentum fans bring isn’t going away anytime soon.
That’s because esports reward them in kind. The sector offers unique opportunities to engage viewers in multiple ways, creating a significantly robust fanbase that fuels its continuing development. So, here’s more on how esports engage their fans like no other.
Action-filled live events
Live esports tournaments remain popular post-pandemic because they provide a complete fandom experience. Fans get to join hundreds or thousands of others in reacting to and cheering for their favorite teams, completely transforming how they interact with a game compared to playing it themselves or watching its tournaments alone via live streams. That means they’re willing to spend money just to travel and attend these events in person—and that’s where esports truly engages them. The result is esports tourism, where destinations work hard to attract fans with cutting-edge facilities and even travel packages.
“People are experiencing these events live and in person—there is no substitute for that kind of energy and electricity,” sports events expert Matt Wilson stated at our roundtable discussion with tourism leaders on the impact of esports. That’s why major venues like Esports Stadium Arlington invest in state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment to enhance the viewing experience. Others, like Singapore’s Suntec Mall, host high-profile events including the very first Olympic Esports Week.
Some destinations go even further, with sports and tourism bodies in South Korea and Saudi Arabia creating esports-themed tour programs to cement their reputations as top esports destinations. By making each tournament worth visiting, organizations invested in esports further engage fans interested in attending live events.
Interactive streaming viewership
Though esports tournament live streams provide significantly toned-down viewer experiences, many fans still turn to it for a number of reasons. Accessibility is chief among these, with leading streaming platforms like Twitch being a popular go-to for those who can’t afford or don’t have the time to physically attend tournaments. Since these streams don’t air on traditional TV, they’re also an inherently digitally-native way to watch tournaments—another factor that may attract esports fans, most of whom hail from younger demographics. However, that means they sacrifice interactivity for passive consumption.
Esports organizations are aware of that, which is why they’re working to engage fans by making these live streams more interactive. Gaming technology innovator Anders Drachen is one of the people quite literally changing the game for online viewers. In 2024, his team developed a Twitch extension for watching Dota 2 —one of the biggest games in esports. Despite being non-intrusive, this extension is easily discoverable, meaning fans can quickly use it to merge match analyses, highlight reels, and even live statistics with Dota 2 streams for a more active viewing experience. Professor Drachen noted that the extension helped increase spectator activity during key match moments, illustrating just how effectively innovations like Twitch extensions can further engage fans even in a remote setting.
Engaging spectators through betting
Despite how interactive both in-person and online esports events can be, fans are often limited to watching and reacting to what’s happening on screen. That’s why esports organizations go the extra mile to give viewers even more ways to get involved while watching competitive matches. Most of their efforts involve emulating the fan experience for traditional sports like basketball and football, while providing premium stadium experiences, creating professional leagues they can follow, and selling merchandise for specific games and teams. With further technological advancement, esports now offers another engaging aspect initially limited to traditional sports: betting.
Fans can now place bets on the outcomes of a particular esports match as it happens, offering opportunities to practice their observational and analytical skills and ultimately enhancing their focus and engagement. Given the improved access provided by the internet and today’s modern devices, online platforms can even help them do so for top esports titles regardless of whether they’re physically in attendance or watching remotely. That’s shown in the features Thunderpick offers for fans betting on Overwatch, which is one of the most popular games for esports betting. For the fans following Overwatch League tournaments, they can use fiat or cryptocurrencies to speculate on the performance of teams like the Shanghai Dragons and San Francisco Shock, along with an Insure feature to insure their bets. At the same time, they can gain additional perks by answering quizzes and joining VIP Clubs, further exemplifying just how well betting enhances engagement for esports fans.
Credit: @teamliquid on Instagram
Rewarding fans for loyalty
Though governments, gaming technology innovators, and even online betting platforms are engaging esports fans in diverse and unique ways, arguably the organizations that are best capturing their interest are the actual esports teams themselves. After all, the people behind the screens are often the reason why viewers begin supporting particular titles and leagues in the first place. By offering special perks to devoted fans and rewarding them for their loyalty, esports teams engage viewers and invest them in their matches even further.
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In March 2024, for example, leading South Korean League of Legends team T1 partnered with banking company HSBC to offer fans the chance to meet them in person. By participating in a lucky draw, avid T1 followers also earned the opportunity to win tickets to the exclusive League of One Party. The Netherlands-based Team Liquid often goes even further, integrating emerging technologies with promotional contests to offer fan rewards. It previously collaborated with Coinbase to give supporters the chance to fly to IEM Dallas 2024 on a sweepstakes package. More notably, it announced a multi-year collaboration with the Sui blockchain to create a loyalty platform—where fans can earn NFT collectibles and unlock benefits like discounts and access to exclusive events. These efforts aim to enhance esports fan captivation, with Team Liquid president Claire Hungate directly stating that the new Sui partnership is meant to “[deepen] their engagement with Team Liquid, our players, and our teams.”