Getty
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The International Olympic Committee recently said
that e-sports gaming could be a sanctioned sport for the
Games. -
The IOC sees allowing e-sports as a promising way to
grow viewership with younger audiences. -
Global audiences for e-sports are expected to
reach 385.5 million this year.
Competitive e-sports could be part of the Olympic
experience as long as it adhered to Olympic values, the
International Olympic Committee said on Saturday.
The rapidly growing world of e-sports and its popularity among
young people has ignited the interest of the IOC as it looks to
refresh its own ageing audience and make the Games relevant to a
new generation.
“The Summit agreed that ‘eSports’ are showing strong growth,
especially within the youth demographic across different
countries, and can provide a platform for engagement with the
Olympic Movement,” the IOC said in a statement after the meeting
with Olympic stakeholders in Lausanne.
Those stakeholders included international federations, national
Olympic committees and athletes’ representatives among others.
“Competitive ”eSports“ could be considered as a sporting
activity, and the players involved prepare and train with an
intensity which may be comparable to athletes in traditional
sports,” it said.
But any future inclusion in the Games would require official
recognition of it as an Olympic sport and would also need a
governing organization that would guarantee compliance “with the
rules and regulations of the Olympic movement.”
E-sports include competitive gaming where players square off in
lucrative tournaments and draw millions of spectators online.
Global audiences are expected to reach 385.5 million this year,
according to research firm Newzoo.
E-sports will be part of the medals event at the 2022 Asian
Games, while many professional sports teams have also set up
their own ‘e-teams’ competing for national and international
titles.
