Is eSports Really A Sport?

The popularity of eSports in recent years has seen many make the case for and against it being defined as an actual sport. Dictionary definitions describe sports as activities that involve skill and physical exertion where teams and individuals compete against one another.

While the exertion involved in eSports might not be at the same level as some sports, there are recognized sports like Chess and Darts that aren’t the most physical.

Online industries have taken some time to be taken seriously, and we can see from early attitudes towards online content creators being compared with “real” celebrities, Netflix not being taken seriously by Blockbuster only to run it out of business, and online betting markets transforming the way consumers can place bets.

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Similarly, the eSports industry has grown thanks to its accessibility with competitors able to take part in competitions at in-person events or online.

The argument against eSports being recognized as a real sport pretty much begins and ends with people thinking there isn’t much value to playing video games.

The argument for eSports is significantly more compelling with eSports events providing high levels of competition where competitors test their skill levels in front of crowds and online viewers.

eSports athletes have to dedicate their lives to training in a similar way to traditional athletes, and this dedication has been recognized by a number of official organizations.

The IOC (International Olympic Committee) has acknowledged its popularity and created an Olympic Esports Games. Plans to hold the first event in Saudi Arabia this year have been pushed back, with 2026 or 2027 a more likely timeframe.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games also had eSports as a pilot event. However, it has been dropped from the 2026 games along with table tennis, wrestling, badminton, squash, and cricket.

Russia first moved to declare eSports as an official sport, which was done as early as 2001. In the years since it has been removed a number of times before the Ministry of Sport last added it to the sport registry in 2017.

China followed not long after Russia, officially recognizing it as a real sport in 2003. Other notable developments include the US granting an athletics-based visa to Canadian pro gamer Danny Le in 2013, Turkey issuing professional licenses for eSports in 2014, and the regulation of the eSports industry in France in 2016.

eSports events generate massive amounts of interest and the top eSports athletes can make a lot of money through sponsorship deals and prize money. Fans that watch live eSPorts events can even place wagers on outcomes with many online sports books now offering markets for the most popular events.

The recognition of eSports as a proper sport is a sign of the times when technology has become more than just a novelty. As online access to essential services, e-commerce, and online gaming all continue to grow, the way consumers relate to online alternatives to traditional sports, services, shops, and entertainment develops.

The time and effort put into becoming an elite eSports athlete is rightly being recognized alongside more traditional athletic training, and the rewards are set to grow as the fanbase continues to expand.