Although controversial in its characterization as a sport,esports is gaining acceptance in the world of athletics. In 2017, the International Olympic Committee accepted esports as a sporting activity, and in 2018, esports made its debut at the Asian Games.Professional esports competitions attract more than 250 million viewers globally and sell out venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Staples Center in Los Angeles.Corporations including the National Basketball Association, which launched its 2K League in 2018,and Amazon, which purchased the esports streaming website Twitch.com for about 1 billion dollars in 2014,are committing to esports. In the world of intercollegiate athletics, Robert Morris University started the first esports team in 2014, and there are now more than 80 collegiate esports varsity teams in the United States, with 22 offering scholarships.Esports has also permeated high school athletics; the first competitive United States varsity season took place in fall 2018.