The explosion of eSports: Competitive computer gaming

World Today

image-from-the-league-of-legends-championship-seriesPhoto credit: League of Legends Championship

The sport of playing video games, known as eSports, for money is exploding worldwide.

Professional teams compete for coveted titles and prize money in the millions of dollars.

One of the biggest competitions is the League of Legends World Championship, and this year’s nail-biting final took place in Los Angeles Saturday night.

It’s a mass annual pilgrimage to see their favorite teams compete in a climactic contest.

It’s the fourth League of Legends World Championship, a wildly popular video game that is played by hundreds of million people monthly.

And a majority of them are in Asia.

It comes as no surprise that the finalists are both South Korean teams. Underdog Samsung Galaxy and two-time world champion, SK Telecom.

Fans have come from near and far, some even in full costume, are unabashed about their obsession for the game.

Last year, more than 334 million viewers tuned in online over the four-week period of the world championship.

The finals drew in 36 million, that’s viewers than the Stanley Cup Final, the World Series, and the NBA finals combined.


Mark Gray on the growing popularity of eSports

Mark Gray, the host and executive producer of The Sports Groove Radio Program, joins CCTV’s Susan Roberts to discuss the highlights of eSports.