Overwatch esports has managed to generate a total of over $1,000,000 across the board from tournaments being hosted regularly. The Overwatch League plans on making that into upwards of 40 Million a year by sharing a portion of the profits with each team. With this huge milestone approaching so quickly within the first year, I think we need to look at what can be done to increase viewership and revenue for this growing scene.
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What To Look For In An Overwatch Esports?
The first thing that an interested viewer looks at when they wish to watch a video game is the excitement. A match between two teams with a similar record going in can sometimes be hard for viewers to get into unless they are fans of both teams, but if there is a clear underdog that can upset, that game becomes much more exciting. The best example of this was in the Overwatch Esports World Cup when the USA played against the UK. Despite neither team having any teams currently in OWL, it was a match with high intensity and tight gameplay, which ended up being extremely exciting for viewers.
Over time, I think Overwatch esports will see a rise in viewership if more national tournaments are created that feature teams that have not yet joined OWL. This gives fanbases worldwide something to latch onto without being forced to support their hometown teams at the cost of another.
What’s holding back Overwatch Esports?
What is lacking right now in Overwatch esports is the lack of players. There are currently no plans or even rumors within the circle of Overwatch professionals about large signings or new players joining teams. The only known major signings are the San Francisco Shock with bringing over players from NRG esports.
If new players come in, there needs to be hype; if viewers don’t know about a player, they aren’t going to tune in to watch them play. Why would they tune in if no one knows who you are playing for?
I think that something that would be very useful would be creating an Overwatch esports news site specifically designed for reporting on major signings, league updates, and other necessary information. This would ensure the viewers are kept up to date with all of the teams within the Overwatch League.
Without any new players or signing rumors, I believe there has been a lull in viewership due to not knowing who to follow or what roster to expect.
How to fix Overwatch Esports Viewers and Players issues?
As far as I can tell, the best way forward would be implementing a reporting system for Overwatch esports that will allow fans from all over the world to stay up-to-date with anything related to Overwatch League. This would ensure that fans don’t miss any updates and are in the loop regarding changes in rosters, signing rumors, or meta changes.
Overwatch League is one of the most exciting things to esports in recent years. If all goes well, this could set precedence for other games to follow in making esports an official part of their production. Being a new industry, there will be bumps along the road, and I hope that Blizzard, Overwatch League, and all of the teams involved consider these suggestions as changes need to be made for this venture to succeed.
For example, it would be great if a site allowed you to go in and see any player who has been given a contract with the Overwatch League. Any news related to player signings should be reported on directly by the media organization covering the scene because these are major players within our competitive system. If there are no new players, then why would the viewership increase?
It’s important to know that if Overwatch esports finds a way to keep increasing their viewership, they will make more money which means increased salaries for professional players plus increased prize pools. Props to Blizzard for getting all of this started, and I’m looking forward to seeing how things shape up in the coming weeks.
With the run rate of Overwatch League reaching a whopping $1,000,000 across tournaments, it seems that Overwatch esports is on the rise. With this great achievement happening very early on into Overwatch’s beginning, I will look at some ways to improve viewership and increase revenue for this rising scene of esports.
