This Sunday, two teams will go head-to-head at a sold-out Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for the chance to win $1.1 million. But the event is not the venue's typical NBA game — it's professional gaming. The 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals, which is like the game's Super Bowl, will feature the Vancouver Titans facing off against the San Francisco Shock. Overwatch is a team-based shooter video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. There are 20 teams in the league based in cities across the globe, from the U.S. to China. This is the second year the Overwatch League has held the Grand Finals, and it marks an even greater milestone for esports. The city's home team, the Philadelphia Fusion, broke ground on a $50 million esports complex that will be dedicated to competitive gaming. Professional gaming is an emerging industry growing in popularity and offering lucrative pay and notoriety. Just look at the Overwatch League. Players are offered benefits that include: A minimum salary of $50,000 and up to $5 million in total prize pool money for the 2019 season

Health insurance, a retirement savings plan and housing during the season

Guaranteed contracts of up to three years

The opportunity for additional sponsorship contracts The esports market is projected to exceed $1 billion for the first time in 2019, a year-over-year growth of 26.7%, according to games and esports analytics company Newzoo. Esports sponsorships alone are expected to generate nearly $460 million in 2019.

Owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft walks on the field prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 17, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris Graythen | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

Investing in esports

Some big-name investors have taken advantage of the esports boom. The Overwatch League operates as a franchise with owners such as Robert Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots; Jeff Wilpon, COO of the New York Mets; and Stan and Josh Kroenke, who together own the Los Angeles Rams, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, Denver Nuggets and Arsenal F.C. The investments aren't limited to just Overwatch. Swift, the parent company of Team SoloMid, a professional esports organization, earned $37 million in Series A funding in 2018, led by a group of investors that include NBA stars Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala, as well as Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang. Michael Jordan led a $26 million investment in gaming company aXiomatic Gaming in the fall of 2018. Shares of Activision-Blizzard are up about 12% since the start of the year at press time. However, the stock tumbled to below half its value between October and February due to greater competition from rival Electronic Arts. Over the last few months, shares have bounced back after earning multiple upgrades in September, as analysts reacted to new updates and sequels for brands like Overwatch and Diablo.

Becoming a professional gamer