Berlin – The effects of the corona crisis are also noticeably affecting e-sports.
“We could only hold events in large arenas in front of thousands of people who have seen a lot of the magic of e-sports in the last few years,” said Hans Jagnow, President of the E-Sports Association Germany ( ESBD), the “Tagesspiegel”, “at the same time we have the advantage that the events are not canceled without replacement. We can go digital and create online offers. »
Jagnow also sees new opportunities for e-sports. “E-sports can create social closeness via digital channels, which at the same time maintain a safe physical distance,” says the 31-year-old chairman of the association founded in 2017.
The researcher in the Berlin House of Representatives has noticed an increase in the number of people playing video games or watching e-sports streams, but there are still many reservations – unlike in the United States, where the major sports channels, especially e-sports events in motorsport. “But we also have a completely different sport culture, and many fans and athletes have to get used to the fact that there may also be new opportunities there,” says Jagnow. For example, the broadcaster Sport 1 has announced that it will be broadcasting 22 hours of e-sport on its platforms this weekend.
However, according to the chairman of the ESBD, these chances are rather diminished by the current crisis. «E-sports is a business area that is heavily dependent on sponsorship and partnerships. Many companies are currently rethinking their budgets and looking at where they can save. »
