Spectators craned their heads and some elbowed each other over key movements, likely wondering if they could replicate the moves at home β on their gaming consoles. EVO has been held in Las Vegas for about 10 years, except during the pandemic when it was on paused for two years.
Last month marked the first in-person tournament series, and the event brought an estimated 18, ticket holders to the Strip. The esports spectator economy has long been considered one of the fastest growing industries, attracting fans and corporate sponsors.
We are now in a sports city and esports is a perfect evolution of that. EVO brought nearly 20, tourists to Las Vegas during its August tournament as gamers sought out a chance to watch some of the best players compete. The only other comparison would be like catching a foul ball in baseball. The New York-based company operates the 1,seat HyperX Arena Las Vegas, a dedicated esports venue inside the Luxor, as well as a semi-truck that operates as a mobile competition stage. Hannigan said it looks to create extra moments of engagement for in-person experiences like putting a chat box on screen for online accounts.
Additionally, social media influencers can drive fans to Las Vegas. YouTube personality Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, and Twitch streamer Richard Belvins, known as Ninja, with more than million followers and over 18 million followers, respectively, held a charity event together at HyperX in July.
Streamers using the HyperX facility have access to more tech infrastructure, and they can take part in sponsored events or collaborate with other players to reach new audiences. And they get to leverage the awesome set of tools we built up. Convention spaces in Arlington, Texas, Atlanta and Raleigh, North Carolina have hosted large-scale esports competitions.
