Live streaming is everywhere! Every single sport and game has been enhanced by it. Every activity in general has been enhanced by it, with influencers offering audiences the chance to join them in everything from book readings to guitarjamz.
In sports in particular, gamers can make entire careers out of live streaming their games, leading to the invention of eSports, and playing at home is no longer a solo endeavor with the use of streaming. Find out all the details of how streaming has affected sports today in our guide below.
eSports
It’s fair to say that eSports has taken off in recent years, with teams from all over the world gathering to compete in an online arena to take home the trophy.
Virtual stadiums are sold out, where audiences watch from all over the world and winners go home with prizes that are sometimes in the millions, although the millions are only won by a very few dedicated players. And yet, none of it would be possible without the use of live streaming.
Back when Ninja was just a blue-haired kid in his room, live streaming was for the gamers, and outliers to that particular genre of the internet didn’t get the hype. But hype grew, with gamers all over the internet tuning in to watch their favorite players either team up or battle in their favorite games. From there, of course investors wondered how they could take advantage of the massive audiences these teenagers were drawing in, and the professional idea of eSports was born.
By the sheer spectacle of these events and the fact that players can be found hopping all over the world to compete, it’s obvious there is a lot of money in it, turning something a kid would get bullied for doing in the 80’s into a professional athlete’s lifestyle.
Poker
An important aspect of poker is the idea of “tells”. This face much more than a classic anthem, but an iconic idea of the game that has permeated into general culture. If you’ve never played a game of like this ever before in your life, you’re sure to still know what a it is.
That element was temporarily gone in the early days of smartphones. Sure, you could still go online and play against, either the app itself or eventually an assigned random player, but both would give you no tells to take advantage of, restricting you from using your learned skills in body language to win.
That all changed with live streaming. Soon, sites like the GGPoker.co.uk platform were offering live table games that allowed you to see all the action in real time, and for everyone to see you. Sure, there is still no face to decipher, but tells like pausing too long to make a move or checking their cards instantly can give you an edge online.
Chess
Chess has always been a slow and carefully strategic game, and a famously old game at that. It was given an unexpected upgrade when live streaming became the norm. Online games thanks to apps became the norm for long distance friends and suddenly there were chess competitions held all around the world attracting more and more eyes.
The youth’s interest in the game that Grandpa taught them was revitalized and suddenly the Chess World Cup was the hottest ticket.
It even got so popular to receive its own Netflix biopic: The Queen’s Gambit, which was a resounding hit based on the true story of Beth Harmon, who became the greatest chess player in the world.
