Mar 2, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Nick "Marsbars11" Mars and Edwin "Castro4DaKidz" Castro during EA Sports FIFA 17 qualifier at Adidas Store. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

If Arsenal don’t qualify for the Champions League it is not the end of the world

If Arsenal don’t qualify for the Champions League it is not the end of the world by Jocelyn Taub

Esports revenues in 2016 totaled $463 million, a year-to-year growth of 43%, and expected to total $1.1 billion by 2019.

Newzoo, an esports marketing research firm, noted that last year 256 million viewers tuned in to watch big international events.

EA’s Competitive Gaming Division announced media partnerships with ESPN, NFL Network and Univision to broadcast future tournaments for FIFA and Madden. The NBA inked its own deal with Take-Two Interactive Software to form an NBA 2K eleague by 2018.

Gaming arena

FanSided.com was granted special access prior to the opening of the gaming arena run by Millennial Esports in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. The 15,000 square foot facility can seat up to 800 in the hall, contains 250 stadium-style seats in the main arena, and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Chief Executive Officer Alex Igelman and Chief Technology Officer Adam Morrison shared their thoughts on the new venue and the future of esports.

When asked about the downtown location, Igelman said millennials wanted a different experience compared to the Las Vegas Strip. The facility sits within walking distance of the Fremont Street Experience, numerous casinos and hotels. It also offers affordable food and drinks.

On the technology front, Morrison noted the on-site broadcasting facilities, DJ booths, and intent to house over 300 consoles and PC’s for gamers.

Growth of esports

According to Igelman professional leagues view esports as another growth opportunity. “We think sports has a very big upside. … The leagues are coming to the publishers and are now working very closely with them.”

“FIFA’s a great community,” Morrison concurred. “It’s really well received in the esports world. It’s definitely going to be something that’s going to be on our radar.”

Below are videos with Morrison’s interview and highlights from the recent Halo tournament at the new venue:

On future endeavors, Igelman identified mobile esports and racing games as two under-represented markets. He’s in the initial stages of investigating tournaments with those publishers.