Varsity collegiate eSports began not so long ago (2014) but had made great strides since, by allowing gamers to apply for a scholarship based on their “athletic” success, many gamers can now hone their skills while getting a proper education in more than 120 different US colleges.
This can very well open the door to increase the average retirement age, for the top franchise this age is ~21yo. The exposure that young gamers are receiving from using all the latest technology will shape the status and stature of eSports players for the upcoming years.
An interesting instance of this phenomenon is by 10.04.18, Commissioner Adam Silver declared that the NBA decision to enter eSports renders it the ‘fourth league in our family.’ Since then, the NBA 2K game has helped build a league that blends basketball elements (like franchising, merchandise, and advertising) with esports aspects (rules, roles, and ethics). First-round draft picks earn a base salary of $35,000 and can sign individual endorsement deals to boost their income. The league also subsidizes housing, medical care, food, and transportation.
This is the first occurrence when a structured sports league decides to expand to the digital competition realm — and by direct meaning, the potential of eSports league is now greater than ever and by combining realistic games with their real-life inspiration (basketball in our case) traditional leagues could open themselves to a vast market which stands untapped.
With all that we mentioned we cannot avoid events like Tfue vs. FaZe Clan, let’s recap what
Turner “Tfue” Tenney joined FaZe Clan, a prominent esports organization, on April 30, 2018. After that, his hours watched and subscriber count skyrocketed, helping him earn over $522K in prize money. However, things weren’t perfect. Tfue’s contract with FaZe gave the organization 80% of revenue from branded videos, 50% of touring fees, and the option to claim 80% of all new deals he signed. Additionally, FaZe retained the power to veto any promotions they considered a “conflict of interest” with their brand.
Now, Tfue backed with his layers try to battle this “tyrannical” contract. This lawsuit represents a lot of the wrongdoing done to prominent players who wish to gain commercial success, some might say that it is a criminal and abusive behavior against players that by large lack any business or legal knowledge. Tfue’s lawyers used the argument that Tfue is more an artist then athlete and by that could leverage the lawsuit because of the fact that FaZe isn’t licensed to dictate employment opportunities for an artist.
At last, we see the entrance of professional gaming to the mainstream crowd; this entrance is promising both commercially and as an alternative lifestyle to young people that excel in gaming. Like other emerging industries, this one also faces exploitation. It will take a long time before laws protect these new athletes, so we recommend keeping a watchful eye on this developing world.