We're two decades in and now the media all of a sudden loves it. They suddenly love everything esports, what happened?

1. Kim Rom
Co-founder & CEO, Level99
THE NEXT PHASE OF ESPORTS
AUDIENCE

3. Esports
= 18 years old.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME

4. Players earning prize money.
WINNERS
0
3500
7000
10500
14000
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

5. 30,723players
over 18 years.
WINNERS

6. Prize money, year over year.
WINNINGS
0.
17500000.
35000000.
52500000.
70000000.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

7. $247,958,404total prize money over 18 years.
WINNINGS
$0.00
$62,500,000.00
$125,000,000.00
$187,500,000.00
$250,000,000.00
$312,500,000.00
18 years Last 4 years

8. Interest over time.
ESPORTS
0
150
300
450
600
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

9. 0
150
300
450
600
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
• First stadium event, sells out in 1 hour (LoL)
• Worlds viewership surpass NBA & MLB finals (LoL)
• First Athlete P-1A Visa (LoL)
• ESPN starts broadcasting esports (LoL)
• First 10 million Dollar prize pool (Dota 2)
• First billion Dollar exit (Twitch)
• First $18 million Dollar prize pool (Dota 2)
• 23 out of 25 tournaments w million+ prize pools
MEDIA DARLING 2013-2015

10. Most impactful event in esports history and sparked Golden Age.
LA STAPLES CENTER
ESPN

11. Most impactful event in esports history and sparked Golden Age.
LA STAPLES CENTER
USA
TODAY

12. Most impactful event in esports history and sparked Golden Age.
LA STAPLES CENTER
LA TIMES

13. • SPORTS
• KIDS
• AND THEN EVERYONE
THE NEXT PHASE OF ESPORTS

14. 0
1
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Defined as "native speakers" of the digital language of online
communities, competitive gaming, video games, streaming video and
music, social media and other engaging online services.
If you were born in 1998 or later, you have never known a
world without esports.
ESPORTS NATIVE

15. Born in 1998 you are 18 today. Happy birthday.
ESPORTS NATIVE

17. Born in 1998 you are 18 today. Happy birthday.
ESPORTS NATIVE

20. Technology is disruptive by nature.
AND IRONICALLY, SPEAKING OF MTV

21. esports = sports?
THE BIG QUESTION

22. IS ESPORTS SPORTS?
Main theme for
press coverage
2013-2016.

23. No longer
matters.
THE SIMPLE ANSWER

24. Club fb/twitter fans Country
2015 Besiktas 5,932,233 Turkey
VFL Wolfsburg 1,031,642 Germany
Saski Baskonia 41,040 Spain
Santos FC 3,483,688 Brazil
2016 Sampdoria 274,469 Italy
West Ham 1,895,486 England
Schalke 04 2,859,318 Germany
Valencia CF 3,304,948 Spain
Manchester City 21,802,364 England
Sporting 2,432,354 Portugal
PSV Eindhoven 676,514 Holland
Odense Boldklub 47,384 Denmark
AFC Ajax 3,044,814 Holland
Paris Saint-Germain 29,352,807 France
SPORTS CLUBS ENTERING ESPORTS

25. Sports clubs represent a new level of players in esports.
ESPORTS INDUSTRY & MANCHESTER CITY
$463m
ESPORTS INDUSTRY
PROJECTED REVENUE 2016
$517m
MANCHESTER CITY
REVENUE 2014-2015

26. Increased social reach of esports by more than 54 million fans (100 million+ in 2017).
SPORTS CLUBS & CLS NA / SOCIAL REACH

27. 100 million+ in 2017.
SPORTS CLUBS & CLS NA / SOCIAL REACH

28. Growth is flat.
SOCCER / INTEREST OVER TIME
0
150
300
450
600
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

29. Teenagers are not playing soccer, they are playing League of Legends.
SOCCER w LEAGUE OF LEGENDS / INTEREST OVER TIME
0
300
600
900
1200
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

30. US sports clubs.
AD SPEND ON MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGNS
0
15
30
45
60
75
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

31. Erosion of soccer eco-system.
SOCCER CLUBS / INTEREST OVER TIME
0
225
450
675
900
1125
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

35. (MOBA games)
WHY DO PEOPLE WATCH LEAGUE OF LEGENDS?
0.00
17.50
35.00
52.50
70.00
87.50
Watch high level Improve gameplay When can't play Different experience Social aspects Interested in participating Support team Support player

36. WHY DO PEOPLE WATCH SOCCER?
0.00
17.50
35.00
52.50
70.00
87.50
Support team Watch high level Social aspects Support player Improve my play Different experience Interested in participating When can't play

37. (No official MAU number released for 2015.)
103 MILLION PLAY LEAGUE OF LEGENDS MONTHLY
0 M
30,000,000 M
60,000,000 M
90,000,000 M
120,000,000 M
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

38. Potentially as big as NBA and MLB finals combined.
Other factors:
Worlds back in US ground (much higher historic performance)
Worlds will officially push esports prize pool over 1/4 Billion Dollars
WORLDS WILL CRUSH ALL RECORDS
0.00
30,000,000.00
60,000,000.00
90,000,000.00
120,000,000.00
2010 2011 (Europe) 2012 (US) 2013 (US) 2014 (Asia) 2015 (Europe) 2016 (US)
LoL MAU Worlds

39. Esports numbers will continue to climb, regularly surpassing sports events.
ESPORTS WILL WIN (AGAIN) ON NUMBERS
0 M
10 M
20 M
30 M
40 M
2013 2014 2015 2016
MLB NBA LoL

40. As big as NBA and MLB finals combined?
WORLDS WILL CRUSH ALL RECORDS
0 M
13 M
25 M
38 M
50 M
63 M
2013 2014 2015 2016
MLB NBA LoL

41. MEDIA DARLING 2016-2019
0
150
300
450
600
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
• Sports clubs are local media darlings, which will cause a significant
increase in press coverage of esports activities.
• Viewership records will dramatically outshine NBA, MLB and others.
• Legitimization for esports as a sport.

43. That thing people do before esports.
SOCCER vs MINECRAFT / INTEREST OVER TIME
0
300
600
900
1200
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Soccer Minecraft

44. World of Warcraft + Lego online.
MINECRAFT
0 M
28 M
55 M
83 M
110 M
Active Monthly Players
CS:GO Dota 2 LoL Minecraft
40m

45. Define social media;
Websites and applications that enable users to create and share
content or to participate in social networking.
On facebook we share, like, update and connect with adults.
In Minecraft kids share, like, play and connect in Minecraft.
MINECRAFT IS THE FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK FOR KIDS

46. • Redefining all engagement metrics, consuming massive amounts of content.
• Educated a new generation of gamers to find everything they need online and almost
exclusively through video.
THE FIRST GENERATION OF “CONTENT WHALES”
0 M
23 M
45 M
68 M
90 M
Minecraft League of Legends
YouTube Twitch

47. The first “social media native” generation of gamers is graduating to esports now.
• Esports content lives online, just like Minecraft.
• Esports is is 99% video, just like Minecraft.
• Esports community lives on social media platforms, just like Minecraft.
• The older kids are doing it, and they are cool.
• Esports Heroes has perfect age group for kids to identify with.
• Gaming with the thrill of competition, perfect for a young competitive mind.
• 50,000+ online tournaments in North America last year.
iGeneration

48. Age 8.
His biggest wish for his
8th birthday:
to be 13.
NIKAS

49. 0
1
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
The world changes a lot when you become 13.
• You can play League of Legends
• You can play World of Tanks
• You can register on Twitch
• You can get your own Steam account
• You can register on Facebook
• You can register on Twitter
ESPORTS NATIVE

50. Favorite game replaced with age.
MINECRAFT AS FAVORITE GAME
0%
15%
30%
45%
60%
<13 14 15 16 17 18

51. Perfect feeder for esports.
ESPORTS FAN AGE
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
13-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

52. Syed Sumail Hassan
February 13, 1999 (age 17)
$2,288,082

53. Who will kids/teenagers identify with?
AVERAGE AGE FOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE
0 years
7 years
14 years
21 years
28 years
35 years
LCS MLB NBA Champions League

55. Off to a great start.
LOL vs CLASH ROYALE / INTEREST OVER TIME
0
300
600
900
1200
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Royale LoL

56. • Mixture of RTS and Card game.
• Designed for mobile, est. 3-4 times the install base of Hearthstone.
• Now owned by Tenchent, who also owns Riot Games (League of
Legends).
• Extremely easy to understand visually, can be played with 1 finger.
CLASH ROYALE

58. Complexity, snowball effect, punishment.
PWN < POPULARITY
0 M
40 M
80 M
120 M
160 M
Quake / CS:GO Dota 2 / LoL Hearthstone / Clash Royale

60. • Took place April this
year.
• 200 participants > 8
finalists.
• #4 game on Twitch that
evening.
FIRST TOURNAMENT

62. What happens
when everyone
can participate?
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME

64. MEDIA DARLING 2016-2019
0
150
300
450
600
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
• "Olympics for iPhone gamers"
• "The sport of the future is played with an iPhone"
• "Win millions from your toilet"
• "Buy your kid an iPhone, he will make you millions"

65. NEW KIND OF HUMAN STORIES
CWL
NQANI

66. NEW KIND OF HUMAN STORIES
CNN

67. • SPORTS
• KIDS
• AND THEN EVERYONE
THE NEXT PHASE OF ESPORTS