May 3rd, 2017

May 3rd, 2017

The AFL wants to its clubs to help develop an eSports business in a bid to get a slice of a growing industry now worth an estimated $1.2billion annually.

The Age reported that the league is interested at running an eSports tournament at Etihad Stadium – a venue it owns – and wants clubs to branch out into a section of the entertainment market rich with those in the 14-34 age bracket.

Fairfax reported that the AFL expects the formation of a new enterprise would broaden its exposure and boost revenue.

An eSports event in the US. (Getty Images)

Foreign sports clubs including Paris St Germain (football) and Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) already have their own eSports teams.

Big-time eSports events have become akin to rock concerts, with crowds in excess of 20,000 packing into areas loaded with massive TV screens and over-the-top lighting displays.

Just as AFL clubs have branched out into both Super Netball and the AFLW competitions, the game’s governing body wants eSports teams to become an option.

An eSports event – the Intel Extreme Masters – will be held at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena this weekend. The most expensive tickets for the weekend are $899 for two days of watching people play video games.

Darren Birch, the AFL’s growth, business and audiences general manager, told Fairfax that the chance to get millennials into its business could not be overlooked.

"eSports is very strong in the millennial area, so for us it is about diverse exposure to that audience. That's no different to AFLW where we became more relevant to a female audience,’’ he said.

"Whether that translates into football is somewhat relevant but also not totally relevant. We want AFL, through eSports, to have the ability to generate a broader appeal for clubs and be able to bring more sponsors, revenue and consumption of your brand – whether that's a live footy event or a live eSports event."