History of eSports

The earliest known video game competition took place in 1972 at Stanford University for the game Spacewar. But the sport became popular in 1980 with the Space Invaders Championship, held by Atari. The event attracted over 10,000 participants across the USA and established competitive gaming as a mainstream hobby.

Playing online video games started to become in demand with advancing internet connectivity in the late 1980s and 1990s, with the 1988 game Netrek allowing up to 16 players to enjoy the game. Television shows started broadcasting eSports events, in both the UK and the USA, but it wasn't until the turn of the millennium when the sport rapidly increased in popularity. With the increased use of online streaming, organisations no longer favour television coverage, with many now broadcasting their events and tournaments on Twitch.

Following the Asian financial crisis in 1997, South Korea mass built broadband internet networks which are believed to have heavily influenced the growth of video gaming as a competitive sport. The 2010s saw the sport grow tremendously, with both an increase in viewership and prize money. In addition to that, a number of leagues and tournaments were founded during this period, including the World Cyber Games, the Intel Extreme Masters and Major League Gaming.

eSports Markets: What are the big events?

There are many eSports events and we offer fantastic eSports betting odds for a variety of different titles and tournaments, including Counter-Strike, Dota 2, League of Legends and Starcraft 2. Whether it's on individual matches, outright bets, or team events, you can bet on all eSports events here. You can follow all of these leagues and tournaments across social media, including Twitter. League of Legends, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike are the most popular video games, with a number of leagues and tournaments offering millions of pounds in prize pools.

An eSports Betting Guide

eSports fans will know about the action and suspense of e-sports competitions, but if that's not enough for you, then why not take part in eSports betting? eSports are rapidly growing sports, emanating out of South Korea and eSports betting is growing just as quickly as the sport. Find the best odds and betting markets right here on the world's top online gaming events. Here at NetBet, we follow all of the blood, sweat and tears that come with the world of online video gaming, particularly with eSports betting and odds. eSports demonstrate a true test of teamwork and strategy. Counter-Strike validates this perfectly and there's nowhere better than NetBet to find the best odds on this league. The best bet types and eSports betting markets are available right here on NetBet. It's not all about Counter-Strike though as we cover all major eSports tournaments, including Starcraft, Heroes of the Storm and Dota 2. If this is all appealing to you, then you can rely on us to deliver great odds. We are one of the best eSports bookmakers available online, so regardless of which team or league you support, you can place your bets with us here.

Did you know this about eSports?

There were 58 million "eSports fans" in 2012. This number rose in 2014 to 89 million and in 2017, 145 million fans are expected worldwide. There are 205 million viewers watching online video games worldwide. 13 million eSports players are participating in leagues and tournaments on amateur or professional levels and follow championships and leagues on a regular basis.

eSports Best Moments

Premier League team Manchester City signed the first professional eSports player in 2016, when 18-year old Kieran "Kez" Brown joined the club. Upon signing, Brown said that he'd live stream his video games on Twitch and YouTube as well as playing with City fans and representing the club in future tournaments.