eSport: Die neue Trend-Sportart erobert Deutschland

eSport: Die neue Trend-Sportart erobert Deutschland

Als begeisterter eSports Fan habe ich seit Jahren mich mit dem rasanten Wachstum und der Popularität dieses modernen Sports beschäftigt. Es ist bemerkenswert, wie sich die Welt von eSport in den letzten Jahren verändert hat – vor allem in Deutschland, wo der Umsatz im aktuellen Jahr auf rund 277,7 Millionen Euro wachsen wird und bis 2029 ein Marktvolumen von 367,1 Millionen Euros erreichen soll.


Der Erfolgszug von eSport begann in Asien und entwickelte sich seitdem rapide zu einer der beliebtesten und am stärksten gesponsorten Sportarten in den USA wie auch in Europa. Deutschland entpuppt sich hier gerade zum Vorreiter, was Vereinsstrukturen und international erfolgreiche Teams betrifft, zudem verzeichnet sich hier in den vergangenen Jahren ein geradezu gigantischer Umsatzzuwachs. Stecken viele traditionsreiche Sportvereine derzeit in der finanziellen Krise, wird dem eSport weltweit eine blühende Zukunft prognostiziert – und das, obwohl viele Kritiker die Bezeichnung als Sport weiterhin anzweifeln.

Ein rasanter Umsatzanstieg im eSport weltweit

In the coming years, it is unlikely that any other sport can hope for such steep revenue growth: the global revenue in 2023 is projected to be around $1.72 billion USD, with a forecast of approximately $2.06 billion USD for 2024. By 2032, revenues are expected to grow nearly ninefold to roughly $9.3 billion USD. Most of the earnings come from areas such as merchandising, ticket sales, sponsorships, media rights, advertising, game publisher fees, and more. The development in Germany appears similar: the revenue this year is predicted to be around €277.7 million, with a market volume of €367.1 million expected by 2029, representing an annual growth of 5.75%. However, what makes this sport so popular and lucrative, and how does the club structure look in both amateur and professional sectors?

Die Entwicklung des Begriffs „eSport“

In the ’90s, the term eSports took root and, with the spread of the internet, it became a solid term within the realm of computer and video gaming. However, it wasn’t until the World Cyber Games 2000 in Seoul that eSports truly established itself as a recognized sporting discipline. In 2005, the CPL World Tour hosted the largest international tournament to date. Although eSports isn’t yet an Olympic sport, it has been included in the Asian Indoor Games organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Saudi Arabia is even planning its own eSports Olympics starting from 2025 – a decision made unanimously at the 142nd IOC meeting in Paris. The games are planned to run until at least 2037, aiming to cater to the growing number of three billion gamers worldwide, as announced. As a gamer myself, I’m excited to see how this evolution unfolds!

Die Popularität und Unterstützung des eSports in Deutschland

The exact number of ambitious athletes in Germany currently cannot be definitively proven, but estimates suggest it ranges from 1.5 million to 4.5 million players, with a projected increase to over 20 million by 2029. Additionally, a club structure has already developed: the eSports Association of Germany represents around 120 clubs, sponsors, and businesses at present, with the sports sector divided into both recreational and competitive categories. In the competitive category, eight members are listed, including Eintracht Spandau, TeamOrangeGaming from Bavaria, and Alternate Attax from Saxony. MOUZ from Hamburg, which has been a gaming organization since 2002 and competes in more than ten different games, is also active in international tournaments. Globally recognized is also BIG (Berlin International Gaming), which plays Global Offensive and Counter Strike 2 and has won prizes in both European and international tournaments, such as the recent CCT Online Finals held at the end of 2023, where they won a prize money of $100,000 USD.

Annually, the German eSports Bundesliga is now held as well, featuring numerous diverse tournaments such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Warzone, Apex Legends, FC 24, and more. These events are exciting not just for the players themselves, but also for betting: Although soccer bets in Germany still account for the largest share of the rapidly growing online betting market, eSports betting is projected to reach a volume of €178.9 million by 2024. Interestingly, traditional sports and eSports are becoming increasingly intertwined: most Bundesliga clubs have their own eSports teams, with FIFA (now FC 24) being particularly popular, as well as League of Legends in other tournaments. The virtual Bundesliga will also be played again during the 2024/25 season and officially began on October 20th, with games taking place in the North-West and South-West divisions. However, favorites in eSports can vary: In the previous season, the 1. FSV Mainz 05 topped the South-East division, followed by RB Leipzig, while FC Bayern only managed a sixth-place finish. In the North-West Division, SC Paderborn finished first, followed by SV Werder Bremen, while Borussia Dortmund ended up in tenth place.

Der wirtschaftliche Einfluss und die Zukunft des eSports in Deutschland

Athletisches Geschick braucht man beim eSport in der Tat nicht, weshalb Kritiker die Bezeichnung als Sport nach wie vor infrage stellen. Gleichzeitig ist die Popularität, das zunehmende Wachstum und auch das wirtschaftliche Potenzial von eSport nicht von der Hand zu weisen. Die Fans sind mehrheitlich jung und investitionsfreudig, die Sponsoren aus dem Technologiebereich zahlungskräftig, und auch von der Regierung wird der virtuelle Sport mittlerweile stark gefördert. Bereits 2019 sah die Bundesregierung die Chance Deutschland als technologischen Vorreiter im eSport zu etablieren: seit damals enthält der Bundeshaushalt ein Budget von 50 Millionen Euro für die Games-Förderung. 

Read More

2024-11-14 05:30