Getting serious about esports Identifying off-season digital engagement opportunities for sports

Alistair Taylor

March 2021

has expedited the need for rights holders and teams to generate digital engagement beyond the pure play live broadcast. Games and esports became big attention economy winners during the early stages of the pandemic and first lockdown. Rights holders desperate to maintain connectivity with fans looked to esports to drive engagement and maintain relevance. The pandemic has acted as a catalyst, forcing rights holders to adapt to evolving digital consumption habits. Non-live sporting formats present unique revenue and engagement opportunities, and are currently under-utilised. Esports provide rights holders the potential for year-round connectivity.

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Arizona Cardinals, Electronic Arts, Endeavor, Epic Games, FIFA, Fortnite, Fox Sports, Fox, IMG, iRacing, League of Legends, Madden NFL, Momentum, Munster, Nascar, New York Giants, NFL, Pizza Hut, R/GA, Rocket League, Super Bowl, Verizon, Yahoo!

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