Many analysts are predicting the eSports market to be worth between $460- $500 million by 2016. In 2014, eSports had 205 million global viewers and made $194 million in revenue!
Combined with the fact that a number of professional football clubs such as Man City, Wolfsburg and West Ham are signing agreements with eSports players, the eSports arena seems to be an attractive area for clubs and sponsors to be involved.
The eSports market is young and quite fragmented with only a small number of organized league competitions in existence. Well, this is about to change in the UK and Ireland with the establishment of a new ‘Celtic eSports league’ based in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man.
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The Celtic eSports league is the brain child of Co-Founder, Trevor Keane.
“The Celtic eSports league will be one of the first professionally organized leagues where local eSports players will represent football clubs from the top league in each country. The format will not only give the players a platform to show all their skills on a league and tournament basis, but will also give clubs an entry into this exciting and growing market and to engage with a younger an techno savvy generation,” said Keane.
“A number of major clubs in the top tier of each league have already signed up with more to follow in the coming weeks and conversations are at an advanced stage with a number of eSports technology partners. Plans have progressed so much that a number of sponsors have already been in touch and are interested in being involved. The league will be incorporating many of the most played eSports titles although the launch will initially focus on football. The plan is to launch the league in the autumn of 2016.”
Those interested in more information about the Celtic eSports League can email Trevor directly or simply sign up to be alerted of their launch.