Quick: What’s the fastest growing sport in the world? Basketball? Nope. Soccer? Nah. Pickleball? Not even that. It’s esports. That’s right, according to data specialist Statista, an estimated 270 million viewers watched competitive gamers battle it out last year, and that number is expected to jump to 323 million by 2025. Esports competitions are a $3 billion industry (not to mention the larger $287 billion field of gaming in general) that’s expected to grow at an annual rate of 8.31 percent.
There are myriad competitive gaming leagues, often revolving around well-known names like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and World of Warcraft. Some players earn hundreds of thousands of dollars on tour, and just like traditional sports, there’s free agency, player trades, and big sponsorships.
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