Cybersport: Global Trends in Sport and Business
E-sports have become big business and are continuing to gain momentum. The audience for e-sports is growing by 25% a year and, despite its novelty, it is a promising sector for lucrative investment. In Russia, the e-sports market is outperforming even the most optimistic growth forecasts, with audience numbers approaching those enjoyed by sports such as ice hockey and basketball. E-sports were included on the Russian National Register of Sports in 2016, gaining the right to recognition as an ‘official sport’. How was this industry established and what is behind its rapid growth? What makes the e-sports market an attractive investment prospect? Could a commercially successful e-sports league be created on the Russian market?
Moderator
Tinatin Kandelaki,
General Producer, Match TV
Panellists
Emin Antonyan,
Chairman of the Board, Secretary General, Russian Federation of Computer Sports All-Russian Public Organization
Ilya Galaev,
President, VFSO Trudovye Rezervy
Roman Dvoryankin,
General Manager, Virtus.pro
Nail Izmailov,
Vice President, FC Spartak Moscow
Aleksandr Prokopyev,
Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Member of the Committee on Physical Culture, Sport, Tourism, and Youth Affairs
Neil Sturrock,
President for Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Caucasus and Central Asia, PepsiCo
Anton Cherepennikov,
Director, Member of the Board of Directors, ESforce Holding