Our world is becoming increasingly digital, with more and more people using devices and computers to watch and interact with the events surrounding us.
The boundary between a TV series and a sporting event is now so blurred that this world affects us on several levels because the protagonists are often the same. It’s as if the digital universe was composed of spheres of influence that continue to intersect and influence each other. One of the interesting mashups over the years has been sports and gaming.
There are some reasons why game enthusiasts these days often connect with racing and other sports.
1 – The development of esports
Esports represents a remarkable evolution of the digital world: the fact of playing video games professionally has opened a world made of investments, competitions, and bets. And this market is often sponsored by investments coming from personalities of the entertainment world itself.
For example, Roc Nation Sports is a team sponsored by Jay-Z, while NBA player Spencer Dinwiddie is the financier of Eonxi. These professional teams clash on some of the world’s biggest stages, reaching millions of viewers at home. But now you don’t only have to watch — you can become a part of the action through betting.
2 – The growth of online betting
Another effect of this situation has been an enormous development of all betting activities. The big bookmakers have moved part of their activities online, with great success. For example, betting on horse racing today is one of the most practiced activities on dedicated portals.
In addition to the possibility of betting on the results of soccer matches and other sports, there are often odds for the most popular esports events as well. This includes Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota, Valorant, League of Legends, and more! All of this can be done either from the laptop at home or from the smartphone from anywhere in the world.
3 – Sponsorship is diversifying
While sponsors once invested exclusively in teams, investments today diversify across channels, tournaments, and trophies. More and more non-traditional sponsors, such as online portals, create true sponsored events within which teams compete.
And not just in the traditional universe but also in the Metaverse. These examples of non-traditional co-marketing are doing a lot to integrate the business world with the gaming world.
4 – Gaming is getting personal
It used to be that sports – when you weren’t going to the stadium – were all watched together with friends on a big TV. It was a spectacle, roughly like a movie, experienced the same way. Today, gaming moves from the static model – the computer with a big screen – to the dynamic model. This means watching streams from just about any device you can think of, including mobile phones and tablets.
Games are now being developed for wireless devices, such as NFL Clash, launched by Nifty Games. It’s a head-to-head title with a genuinely innovative dynamic that the US sports organization has officially licensed.
The opportunities offered by new technologies have revolutionized the world of games, opening up new horizons we never dreamed of. And the progressive integration of different forms of entertainment is doing the rest. We don’t know where they’ll end up, but we’re sure it will be interesting!
