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By APD writerAlice
The eSports sector is attracting a large number of fans when traditional sports events are forced to postpone or cancel and bans on mass gatherings have been issued in many countries around the world to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With a potential audience of 3 billion people worldwide who are staying at home due to coronavirus, eSports has an unprecedented chance to prosper as the number of fans seeking online platforms to watch professional athletes playing has suddenly skyrocketed in recent times.
Leaders of horse racing, boxing, soccer, soccer and motor racing clubs are "brainstorming" to seek ways to maintain the number of fans and revenue in the time of hardship.
As the stadiums close, big and small sporting events are postponed, many tournament organizers are seeking revenue by livestreaming virtual sports matches on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch or broadcast these on traditional television platforms to serve fans at home.
The Italian Motor Mugello motor race usually attracted around 200,000 spectators during each weekend's MotoGP event. The organizers have turned to livestreaming a virtual race called "The stay at home GP". This race application has been downloaded by millions of fans.
Formula One leaders has also invited a number of riders to participate in the virtual racing version Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix to attract fans.
On March 27, a virtual boxing match between the late legend Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston attracted the attention of 35,000 viewers on YouTube. The late legend will meet Mike Tyson again after defeating George Foreman in another virtual match this weekend.
On Apirl 4, ITV, a British free-to-air television channel, will broadcast a virtual race under the famous Grand National Horse Racing of the UK to serve the audience sitting in the room to prevent the pandemic.
Organizers of basketball tournaments also launched a 4-player video game called "MLB The Show" on March 27.
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected many sports tournaments, from the English Premier League, the Champions League and the Olympics to eSports tournaments.
For years, eSports tournaments were organized on a large scale and professionally like many traditional sports to attract new audiences, beyond the framework of a video game.
However, in this situation, many have "returned to their own nature," said Dominique Gelineau, general manager of the Call of Duty League’s Toronto Ultra team.
In recent weeks, major eSports tournaments like Call of Duty League (CDL), Overwatch League, ESL Pro League or League of Legends (LMHT) have switched to online competitions. Usually, they are held in studios or gymnasiums with enthusiastic fan cheers.
The shift to online competition has provided the players, commentators and organizers with fun experiences.
Last February, IEM Katowice 2020, one of the world's leading CS:GO tournaments, took place on an 11,000-seat stadium without spectators after Polish authorities imposed a ban on gatherings.
At the same time, the ESL Pro League organizers had to change plans. Instead of hosting the entire season in a studio in Malta, and the final match in Denver (Colorado, the US), all the matches will be organised online.
Another tournament, the League of Legends Championship Series in the US and Canada (LCS), is also completely online.
In Vietnam, eSports tournaments have made decisions quite early. On February 7, the organizers of Vietnam Championship Series (VCS) decided to temporarily not sell tickets for Spring 2020 matches to protect players and the audience from the disease.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
