The pandemic is taking gaming & sports to next level

E-Sports is becoming a more important part of the sports mix, allowing not just professionals but also amateurs to actively participate in sports. It is also creating new opportunities for traditional sports to grow their fan base.

The last six months have seen the most significant crossover ever between mainstream sports and e-sports. Teams and promoters have been filling their suddenly empty schedules with virtual versions of their sports, keeping both fans and sponsors happy. Broadcasters such as Star Sports networks and ESPN have shown hours of e-sports coverage, including football and cricket stars playing football and cricket IPL & FIFA. Formula One has run an entire season of grand Prix using its authorized licensed video game.

With the pandemic still going powerful, India’s cricket association BCCI had to delay the Indian Premier League and eventually ended up conducting it in the UAE, Star India is the official broadcaster of IPL 2020. has made provisions for some fans to be part of its Livestream of the tournament keeping with many sports that have restarted in the Covid 19-, the IPL has also altered towards virtual rooms to accommodate its fans. Fans can watch and enjoy IPL 2020 Live on the Star India Network channels in various languages

And yet real sports teams, promoters, and broadcasters are always looking for new ways to attract fans and sponsors. If they have learned nothing from the crossover of the last three months, it’s a wasted opportunity,  “It would be stupid if people just scoot back to the real world and leave behind all these abandoned Twitch accounts, like a strange ghost stadium sitting around on the internet.” says Southwell