The suspension of live sport has thrust the virtual sports industry into the limelight. E-sport is the only area where athletes, and amateurs, can compete while practising social distancing.
In a country with more than 35 000 Covid-19-related deaths at the time of writing and an economy staring into an uncertain abyss, the fate of an incomplete football season really shouldn’t matter. But this is England and of all the things that don’t matter, football matters the most.
This has not been the only game in town under lockdown. Virtual cricket, basketball and tennis tournaments — replete with commentary — have helped scratch the unremitting itch of supporters. Formula 1 and Nascar are just two motor-racing organisations that have brought drivers to the virtual realm. Even the Grand National, one of the most prestigious horse racing events in the world, broadcast its 173rd running on British free-to-air television channel ITV via computer simulation.
Once normality resumes, Watt does not anticipate a huge surge in virtual sport’s popularity. Traditional sports fans have a finite amount of time outside of school or work hours and are not likely to abandon the relationships they have forged with their favourite teams and athletes. But there is hope that with the help of a different medium to peddle the product, some sports could attract a new audience.
Around the world, the annual growth of e-sports is 20%. In developed countries, especially in South Korea, widely considered to be the epicentre of e-sports, the rise has flattened as the market is already saturated.
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