Nowadays, sports have become more and more popular day after day. What exactly makes people love it so much? Here are 4 reasons for everyone to love sports.
1. Sports… what a wonderful show
One might say “Well, I like playing CS or DotA myself sometimes. But is it interesting to watch? I don’t believe that.”
Yes, it is. It is VERY exciting, especially when you watch LAN esports matches live. This competitions have their atmosphere not different from that of boxing or basketball. And it is obviously more funny that at tennis or jumping.
They have everything here: lighting show, professional announcers, best moment replays, fans, flags, merchandising goods and real emotions. The entire world knows already that esports tournaments are unbelievably spectacular.
According to the data by Newzoo research company, 76% of esports viewers claimed they follow esports broadcasting as they used to do with traditional sports earlier. Among men from 21 to 35, esports gained the popularity equal to baseball or hockey. Just check the atmosphere of any big LAN tournament!
For example: the League of Legends Worlds Grand Final of 2016 was broadcasted by ESPN, the main sports channel in the US, and 36 million people watched it.
2. Sports are for strong people
“Sports are something for no-life schoolboys who are too lazy to go to the gym” – that’s another silly stereotype. Professional sports require total concentration and incredible endurance from players. Those guys train 6 to 8 hours daily, and their training system includes not only gaming practice but regular gym sessions. A big part of sports professionals look very healthy and shaped, and some of them are real athletes.
3. Sports are simple and accessible
Why do you think, soccer became the most popular sports while golf or Formula 1 have an expensive but quite specific audience? Football is simple, accessible and clear. You don’t need to buy expensive gear and to learn tons of rulebooks. You don’t even need to know how to play. A ball and some friends are enough.
The unbelievable growth of sports popularity has the same reason. To become a part of a CSGO or DotA 2 community, you only need an entry-level gaming PC and a Steam account.
Today’s sports stars are guys from your neighborhood who played CS with friends after work/study. They are not people from other planets, and they are not celebrities. It is interesting to watch after them, to support them, and it’s easy to play with them even without leaving your home.
4. Sports competitions are a friendship festival
Unfortunately, traditional sports made a huge step away from basic sports principles in recent years. It is especially relevant for big starts like Olympic Games. Many people watching olympic competitions and other world championships today do not really have any interests in sports. They don’t know the rules, names of sports players, or anything.
Just like the most new sports formats, esports hasn’t been poisoned with politics and propaganda yet. Despite all the competitive tension, the community is always friendly, supporting each other and showing mutual respect.
In some words, don’t pay attention to stereotypes. Love sports and welcome the new future of sports. It’s cool out here!
The Yucatan Times
Entertainment
