The Business of eSports

The meteoric rise of eSports has been an exciting development in Sports Business. Beginning with the history of video gaming, this course will provide students with a detailed understanding of how eSports has evolved enabling them to analyze the current ecosystem and identify the potential that it has for future growth and development. This course will examine the different modalities for play, media platforms for hosting/streaming, types of competition and the organization of teams and entities. Students will become familiar with the unique fandom of eSports, the differences from traditional sports in revenue potential, and how the organization and institutionalization of a counter-culture has created a global phenomenon that is changing the way we think about sports. The debate of eSports being classified as a ¿sport¿ will also be discussed. Aspects of the culture of competitive gaming will be explored such as diversity, inclusiveness and sportsmanship, and students will have an opportunity to attend eSporting events as part of the curriculum.