In what is becoming a recurring theme in 2015, the Olympics and eSports are embroiled in a complex courtship (yet again). For starters, check out my thoughts on this topic here and here. To paraphrase, there’s a segment of the worldwide eSports community which is focused on the achieving acceptance from organizations such as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). However, upon taking a closer look, the eSports pursuit or Olympic recognition is oddly unbalanced. Especially when the Olympics are in dire need of eSports, and not the other way around.
The World Cup, which occurs two years before the summer games, has grown significantly as a major event thanks to the support of a younger, social media savvy crowd; a reality that isn’t lost on the executives of major networks who carry the Olympic games. With the Summer Olympics 2016, right around the corner, it has becoming increasingly obvious that attracting a younger viewership is not a choice. So reading about eSport institutions currying the IAAF’s “approval” seems backwards. With eSports bringing an element of immediate legitimacy among millennials, the Olympics are primed to benefit more than vice versa.
While London’s 2012 summer games were the first “social” Olympics, with associated social media activity setting records, there’s still a vast disconnect between the games and a younger viewing audience. Given the resources, history and reach that the Olympics has as modern history’s first truly global event, this disconnect is startling. Awareness of the Olympics pervades nearly every corner of the globe. The quadrennial spectacle is part of a shared human history of athletic achievement, national pride and quest for glory. A legacy very few events can match.
Still, the games have lagged behind key digital milestones for years. The Olympics have demonstrated a slow-footed approach to key areas like mobile/streaming content, innovative use of social media and strong digital branding. This is a kiss of death when it comes to younger viewers who are accustomed to following professional leagues that embrace these concepts wholeheartedly.
Yet, in eSports, the Olympics are being offered the new face of competitive sport basically gift wrapped and they’re only able to respond with red tape. Now is the time for organizations like the IAAF to embrace, not just eSports, but an entirely new digital landscape with as much vigor as possible. Yes, the debate over whether eSports is a sport hangs heavily over the conversation.
However, as has been shown with baseball, it takes more than just qualifying as a sport to gain/keep Olympic inclusion. Business decisions are made to include and exclude any number of sports based on metrics like popularity, growth, and even how watchable the games are. What better activity than eSports to mandate a tad bit of leniency when it comes to the storied tradition of “sport?”
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Alex Fletcher is founder & president at eSports Group, where he helps customers meet their eSports advisory & consulting needs. When Alex isn’t glued to a screen, he spends time with his wife, their two dogs, and pretends to learn Polish. Feel free to stalk him on Twitter – @FletchUnleashed