Tech & sports: The rise of esports

Since the dawn of video games, there have been gaming competitions. But for decades, such contests were regarded as beneath the hallowed realm of ‘sports’.

This began to change in 2003, when the first Esports World Cup was held, and over the last two decades, digital competition has gone from strength to strength. Where once it may have seemed odd to watch others play video games, sites like Twitch and YouTube have popularised spectatorship.

For many teens and young adults today, games like Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and Fortnite are more popular than some mainstream sports. The financial rewards for competitors are bigger than ever, and in places like South Korea, top gamers have more star power than the best footballers.

But how did this happen?

In this second part of a three-part mini-series, Mike and Amit cover the rise of esports.

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Michael Wade is the TONOMUS Professor of Strategy and Digital and Director of the TONOMUS Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation. An expert in AI and digital transformation, he has published 10 books and more than 100 case studies and articles on topics such as AI strategy, digital innovation, and leadership.

Amit Joshi is a Professor of AI, Analytics, and Marketing Strategy. He specializes in helping organizations use artificial intelligence and develop their big data, analytics, and AI capabilities. An award-winning professor and researcher, he has extensive experience in AI and analytics-driven transformations in industries such as banking, fintech, retail, automotive, telecoms, and pharma.

All views expressed herein are those of the author and have been specifically developed and published in accordance with the principles of academic freedom. As such, such views are not necessarily held or endorsed by TONOMUS or its affiliates.