This paper discusses why educators should include e-sports in curriculum.

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Educating on a New and Growing Field
Zachary Kanelis
Western Oregon University

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E-sports and Streaming
The video game industry is rapidly growing; in 2020 the gaming market increased its
worth over 7 billion dollars from 2019, ending the year with a market worth around 159 billion
dollars (WePC, 2021). The industry has seen huge increases in revenue with over 2.7 billion
gamers worldwide. It is projected that by the end of 2021 gaming revenues in the United States
will top 90 billion, up over 20 billion from 2017. Streaming and competitive gaming have
become areas where elite players can make millions (WePC, 2021).
In 2019 Tyler Blevins, known as “Ninja,” was Forbes top gamer earning 17 million
dollars. Perez (2020) reports that “Ninja has ​endorsements from Adidas, Red Bull and
underwear designer PSD” (para. 11). Darina (2020) mentions​ Shroud, a top gamer and
streamer, who currently has an estimated net worth of around 3 million. Another big earner is
Tfue, who has made over 600,000 dollars from placing in Fortnite tournaments alone. In other
words there is a lot of money in gaming, thus making it a desirable field. Of course, money is
not the only driving factor in the gaming industry; many folks just love gaming which is a
reason teachers may hear more talk of becoming a professional gamer in the classroom. These
top players are of course not the standard; they are the National Basketball Association (NBA)
players of the gaming world. Young kids want to be professional gamers just like they want to
grow up to be the next Lebron James. This is an unrealistic goal for 99.99 percent of the
students; still, there are an abundance of jobs in the industry that are much more attainable.
With this in mind, educators should teach critical skills that are useful in the gaming industry
but are also applicable and marketble in other areas. The purpose of this paper is to show that
educators should not dismiss a student’s interest in video games, but instead incorporate them

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into learning to engage and motivate students. Thus not only giving them the necessary skills to
succeed in the e-sports industry, but valuable skills that are transferable to other careers as
well.
Electronic Sports (e-sports) and live streaming both revolve around playing video games,
but are not the same thing. E-sports is used to describe competitive gaming where teams or
players compete in tournaments against one another in an organized fashion (Willingham,
2018). E-sports are almost always live streamed and often will have some kind of live audience
present. It takes many different people to run a successful e-sports event: announcers, media
specialists, and event organizers are the tip of an iceberg in a long list of other important
professions in the gaming industry.
Live streaming in gaming is when a player streams their gameplay in real time to an
audience on a platform like Twitch. The highly skilled and entertaining gamers draw massive
viewership online. Without a good supporting cast, though, none of this would be possible. For
example, a good moderator is important in monitoring a streamer’s chat to keep out any
offensive or otherwise unwanted comments and interactions (Cai, 2019). Big streamers usually
also have people who record clips and edit videos for YouTube and other platforms so
streamers can focus on playing and entertaining.
Live streaming is one of the biggest sources of income for most top gamers because
they can earn money through advertisements and subscriptions. (Chapman, 2018). Many
e-sports players also live stream to gain exposure, it is also a great way to earn money other
than competing in highly competitive tournaments where only top performers earn money. On
the popular live stream platform Twitch, streamers earn money in several ways. Through

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partnerships with Twitch, streamers earn a portion of the five dollars per month subscription
fee. They also get money from advertisements viewed on their stream, any sponsors they may
have, and from fan donations (Chapman, 2018). Popular streamers employ a staff, or have a
number of people, who help them, with their stream depending on the size of the channel. Big
streamers, or at least those who can earn a living streaming will have people that edit videos,
run their social media accounts like YouTube, and moderators who monitor chats and
comments on posts. These people all play a crucial role in creating and growing streams
(Twitch, 2021). While very few kids will grow up to make money gaming or streaming, there are
a plethora of careers in the gaming and e-sports world.
Aside from being a gamer or content creator (streamer), careers in the gaming and
e-sports industry include: video game designers, animators and artists, software developers,
marketers, computer programmers, video editors, and community managers (PhillPott, 2019).
Many necessary skills in other careers are also necessary in the gaming industry. Skills like
accounting, marketing, being able to negotiate a contract, and various legal aspects all play an
important role in the industry. If someone has the talent to become a professional gamer and
streamer, having these skills will put them in the best position to succeed. For the vast majority
who do not have the talent to be a professional gamer, but still have a passion for video games,
the right skillset could still lead to a great career in the gaming industry.
Connecting learning
Educators have a great opportunity, an obligation even, to show students who are
interested in gaming that there are many great career paths in the industry that will allow them

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to do what they love. Not only that, educators can emphasize skills that can be transferred from
the gaming industry to other fields, such as marketing, business, and graphic design. This
opportunity also gives educators the ability to engage students who might not be interested in
school. There are a ton of ways to make connections to business and finance in streaming and
e-sports. Anyone who wants to make money live streaming needs to have a business model; it’s
not as simple as just playing the game. A lack of basic business understanding will make it
difficult or impossible to make money in the industry (Bland, 2017). Other risks include the
possibility of getting locked into a bad contract or signing ownership of content to an outside
agency.
Twitch allows streamers and viewers to sign up for free; making money from
advertisements, and receiving a portion of subscriptions. Streamers must become Twitch
partners in order to receive money from subscriptions and advertisements. There are
requirements to become a Twitch partner, including things like minimum required number of
viewers and stream sessions. Business of Apps (2020) reports that a streamer must have at
least 50 followers over the last month and have at least 500 total broadcast hours in order to
become a partner, also that partners earn 50 percent of every five dollar subscription with the
other half going to Twitch. Different streamers receive different portions of subscription
money, and being able to understand how to get the best deal could lead to a much larger
income.
A basic understanding of law can be a huge help in the world of e-sports. Burk (2013)
describes a “fundamental set of legal issues, integral to e-sports that concern the ownership
and control of rights in player performances” (p. 1536). In other words there are legal issues

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that can be immensely complex when all elements are factored in, such as ownership and
control rights of a player's gameplay. While law classes may not be offered until later in
education there are plenty of connections that can be made to e-sports. Designers and
companies behind the games played are concerned with intellectual property rights and
copyright laws, while streaming platforms and e-sports teams also have their own rules and
contracts. Some professional gaming teams use contracts that revolve around online views,
others use a “broadcast control model.” This means owners of teams are often responsible for
financials and promoting the team. For those wanting to own a sports team, a strong
understanding of finance, advertisement and promotion are usually necessary. E-sports could
be used in the classroom as an example for these areas to make connections to the real-world.
Zalaznick (2019) explains that there are already educators using curriculum which includes
esports marketing, social media and event planning. Meaning that some teachers are already
successfully beginning to add social media to curriculum to engage students.
Any curriculum should make connections to the money side of the e-sports industry. A
lesson on finance or marketing could easily incorporate an example from the industry. Bland
(2021) explains that knowing how to market your stream in general is important, but is
absolutely critical in the early stages where it can be very difficult to gain viewers. Streamers
need to figure out what audience they are targeting and how to get that group’s attention. As
an assignment, students could create a marketing plan for an emerging stream by choosing a
game or type of stream they are interested in and creating a plan to identify its target market,
and then attract viewers. To incorporate finance as well, students could create an affordable

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budget that this stream would need to operate on as a way to understand the costs of
streaming, and gain skills working with money.
An article written by Kurkovsky (2009) looks into utilizing mobile game development as
part of curriculum to engage students, and how it can be helpful in connecting
computer-science to real world technology. Computer games “have been shown to be a
successful learning tool by leveraging students’ enthusiasm towards computer games and their
social relevance” (Kurvovsky, 2009, p. 1). In other words students need classroom activities
they can relate to and many are interested in computer games. Including mobile game
development in the curriculum engages students who like video games, and encourages
creativity while learning about computer science, a rapidly growing field with many different
opportunities. Mobile games are much easier to program compared to traditional game
development making them a good starting point. Kurkovsky (2009) explains that this is because
mobile games are simpler by nature compared to computer games. Students can learn about,
and get first-hand experience with things like: computer networking, data structures, database
management and more. These can all be useful in creating video games, but also show students
other aspects of computer science they may eventually transition into. Kurvovsky (2009) does
mention that some experience with Java is necessary, making it more relevant in early college
coursework, or advanced placement high-school seniors, since younger students may not have
had a chance to learn programming skills.
These real-world connections to a rapidly growing industry will be more relatable to a
generation that is so technologically focused. Appealing to student interests has been proven to
increase learning (Ainley, 2006). When a student is interested and excited about learning, they

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are more likely to set and achieve goals. A study on interest and motivation in learning by
Ainley (2006) concluded that “Interest as the immediate reaction to a new learning task is an
active state that involves feelings of arousal, alertness, attention and concentration and is a key
variable in the motivation of learning” (p.399). What this means is there is an opportunity to
engage students through video games or live streaming. An excited, motivated class will have
much more academic success, and there is a video game out there for almost everyone.
While most students play some form of video games, not all participate. For these
students, projects and curriculum related to gaming might not create interest. Live streaming is
used in many different fields, and does not have to involve e-sports at all. “Twitch has also
become a place to share creative work (such as making cosplay items or art), cooking and
“social eating” (where people simply broadcast eating a meal), and music (from practice
sessions to full-scale concerts)” (Taylor, 2018, p.6). People live stream almost everything, so
there is no reason a student couldn’t find something that interests them in the live streaming
world. Therefore, teaching students the skills that apply to e-sports can benefit and engage
even students who do not want to be directly involved in the industry.
Many businesses are using live streaming sites like Twitch for tutorials and other
business practices. For example Carmicheal (2020) mentions PSD underwear used influencer
marketing by pairing with Ninja. PSD gave Ninja a bus, which he took to TwitchCon and showed
off on a live-stream. Another example provided by Carmicheal (2020) is Wendy’s mascot
live-streaming Animal Crossing on Twitch and as part of the stream reminding viewers they
could get free delivery. These are just a couple examples of how companies leverage Twitch,

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and it is in a student’s best interests to understand how these sites can be used to achieve
different goals.
In any form of live streaming, a lot of work and resources are necessary in production.
Taylor says “the level of attention, labor, resources, and creativity that streamers put into their
practice to take a game and make a production out of it that extends well beyond its formal
properties is stunning” (Taylor, 2018, p.73). In other words It is common for streamers to use
graphical overlays, green screens and other animations on their stream. A streamer must not
only be able to play a game at a high level, but create quality content. According to Bland
(2017) “​Custom badges and emoticons are all the rage and show super-fan status among
viewers. These take some graphic design skill and money to create unique perks” (Production
section, Para. 1). This means that technical skills and resources are important in streaming,
these technical skills could be learned through a basic photography class and developed in
more advanced graphic design courses. The next section will discuss e-sports opportunities at
the collegiate level.
College Opportunities
More and more colleges have e-sports teams, with good funding and scholarships just
like traditional sports teams. For some players, this could be a great way to help pay for college
and gain experience in the industry. Again, only top players will get these opportunities. There
are 175 schools that offer varsity e-sports and an additional 314 have club teams (E-sports
Colleges, 2021). The National Association of Collegiate E-sports (NACE) governs college e-sports.
The group has bylaws and a constitution, providing structure for schools and players.
“​www.ncsasports.org/college-esports-scholarships” is a site that connects students with college

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e-sports scholarship opportunities. Most scholarships are partial scholarships, and range from
500-8000 dollars. These scholarships can provide great opportunities for students to go to
college and gain further skills to help in the professional world. College coaches will often
recruit by watching top gaming tournaments and Twitch streams, but it can be difficult to find
players. The point here is that there are established institutions that are providing scholarships
and funding for students in e-sports.
There are challenges and risks in having an e-sports team. “Recent stories from The New
York Times, Wired, Insider and others have highlighted how pervasive sexism, racism,
homophobia and other forms of discrimination are in online spaces” (Cote, 2020, para 5). It is
not uncommon for players to trash talk one another either in game, or by sending messages
back and forth. These interactions could be seen as cyber bullying by most institutions. Schools
need to make it a priority to address these issues early on to ensure a positive experience for all
students. Many competitive games are also violent. First-person shooter games such as
Manhunt, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto are extremely popular, but gory. Schools must
figure out how to navigate these aspects of online gaming that likely go against some of their
policies. Figuring out what will be tolerated, and what won’t can be difficult. Gaming culture
has many toxic aspects, but this does create an opportunity to educate students on violence
and cyberbullying, and create change. The world is becoming more accepting of diversity, the
gaming community needs to head in that direction.
Conclusion
E-sports and video game live streaming have never been more popular, and the industry
is showing no signs of slowing down. These fields present many opportunities to individuals

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interested in video games, entertainment, broadcasting and much more. A variety of skills and
abilities are needed in different parts of the gaming community. Connecting curriculum to
live-streaming, e-sports, and gaming in general will engage students and create opportunities
for them going forward, whether that be in college, a career, or both. Many topics in business,
finance, marketing, and law are all applicable in both streaming and e-sports. Educators still
need to be honest and realistic with students when they say they want to be professional
gamers (just like when students say they want to be professional athletes). This does not mean
saying it is impossible, or unrealistic, but instead encourage them to keep playing, while
showing them how many career paths there are within the gaming industry. For those who are
really interested in pursuing a career in e-sports there are coaches available, and most players
who work directly with a coach see almost immediate improvement (Indy League Gaming,
2019). What is most important is that educators connect valuable skills to the gaming industry
to engage students and put them in the best possible position to pursue a career of their
dreams.

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