Forty-three million unique viewers were reached during the 2016 League of Legends World Championship. Thirty-one million watched game seven of the 2016 NBA Finals — arguably one of the greatest games in league history.
There’s no debate over the popularity of esports broadcasts. Just as networks like ESPN have made improvements to broadcasts, it’s important that gaming companies follow suit. With that in mind, Skillz, a leading mobile esports platform, is introducing the world’s first streaming eSports ticker.
On this 38th anniversary of @ESPN's first broadcast, we're excited to announce the world's first #eSports ticker! https://t.co/zTH8DuE7m2
pic.twitter.com/7iaLOI9EXe
— Skillz (@skillz) September 7, 2017
Made popular by ESPN’s SportsCenter, the ticker’s scrolling text at the bottom of the screen will allow streamers to incorporate stats and bring narrative elements into the broadcast.
“When viewing a competitive game, whether it’s an offline sport like football or an esport like Starcraft II, we’ve continually witnessed the importance of narratives to the spectator experience – such as the presence of an underdog, rivalry, record score, or just the sheer dominance of your favorite player,” Skillz CEO Andrew Paradise said. “Closing the content quality gap between esports streams on sites like Amazon’s Twitch and broadcasts on networks like ESPN is an important part of gaining and maintaining viewership. ”
The ticker quenches a thirst for more information while viewing live esports. Similar to football, basketball and baseball, it’s no longer acceptable to take in a bare bones esports stream. Viewers want in-depth stats to complement the viewing experience.
“The ticker allows viewers to stay up to date on how they rank compared to their peers, what prizes are available, all-time high scores, and more information to enhance and reward their participation,” Paradise said.
The ticker’s introduction comes on the heels of news that Skillz was granted a patent for the tech behind its own esports event platform, Skillz Arena.
“We are definitely headed in the right direction as an industry,” Paradise said when asked if esports broadcasts will continue becoming similar to those done by major sports. “The esports industry is projected to become a $5 billion global business by 2020 and closing the content quality gap is going to be a huge component of reaching that milestone.”