Key Takeaways
- League of Legends tournament viewership has rivaled the Super Bowl in recent years.
- Counter-Strike is the most popular esports to bet on.
- Video game players and crypto users prefer online communities.
The sports pub was once at the center of sports fan culture, where friends (and occasionally foes) gathered to root for their favourite sports teams.
However, it is being reimagined in the digital age as the arrival of cryptocurrency and esports drives a shift toward virtual, alternative commutes where competitive gaming and crypto-powered betting collide.
Esports Growth
Esports is a massive niche industry built entirely on competitive video games, and continues to grow rapidly.
This emerging sector is dominated by highly competitive games such as League of Legends (LoL), StarCraft II, and Counter-Strike.
With tens to hundreds of millions of monthly players, these titles draw similar numbers to their major esports tournaments.
One notable example was LoL’s 2019 World Championship, which pulled tens of millions of views across its 5-day event. Over 100 million viewers watched the final.
This is higher than the Super Bowl that year.
Estimates suggest the esports market will reach $5 billion in 2025 and could reach up to $50 billion in the next ten years if it maintains its current pace.
Similarly, the esports betting market is also expected to increase, growing from roughly $2.34 billion in 2023 to over $3 billion by 2027.
The New Era
YouTube, Twitch, and other video-sharing/streaming platforms have become irreplaceable in an increasingly virtual world.
Now, traditional sports fans can watch major games alongside their favourite streamer online in their community, wherever they want. This offers a new way for players to engage with the medium.
But it’s esports and video games that dominate the streaming era. And they’re often content-rich experiences, giving viewers options to view and interact with their favourite games and esports teams.
There’s still some room for growth, as esports betting pales in comparison to traditional sports, which are estimated to have earned $72 billion in the U.S. throughout 2024.
Crypto Enters
With crypto thrown into the mix, it’s a different experience.
Crypto sites can offer some unique betting options for esports. Sites like Polymarket allow users to wager on simple binary outcomes.
Other sites offer unusual options, like which player will get the first kill or which player will crash out following a loss.
There’s also a myriad of cryptos a user can leverage to bet with, such as instant payouts, gamified rewards systems, and other occasional perks.
In addition, the worlds of crypto and esports have never been closer, with Coinbase and other crypto giants signing major partnerships with esports titans like Riot Games.
Cultural Shifts
Arguably, this shift could come with some sacrifices, namely the physical/social side of meeting at a location with people you know in real life.
For years, people have been gathering in person and virtually, wherever they can, to watch esports events.
Few communities are as large and passionate about their hobby as the video game audience.
As a result, esports could catch up with sports viewership and betting activity as crypto and video game tournaments continue to gain momentum with younger generations.
There’s also the matter of millennials and Gen Z, the biggest adopters of video games and crypto in history, being the lowest consumers of alcohol than previous generations.
Naturally, this is playing a big role in the cultural shift taking place today. Sports bars don’t exist solely to broadcast major sports events; that’s just the hook.
Crypto is volatile, and its use for betting on esports is largely unregulated.
This means there are risks of financial loss, overspending, and gambling addiction as these sites can bypass local gambling regulations.
Similarly, environments where alcohol is abundant can lead to poor decision-making and long-term problems.
Ultimately, gambling poses a risk regardless of where a bet is placed.
Player Choice
Crypto and esports aren’t a replacement for the sports bar, but they are occupying an increasingly large share of the sports fan/bettor market.
League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike draw huge crowds, but lack the lively chaos of the pub.
However, with esports, there are no pay-per-view or subscription costs, so viewing parties can occur anywhere, physically or virtually.
The same can be said with crypto thrown into the mix, which is already a burgeoning and passionate community in its own right.
In 2025, it’s no longer necessary to go to another location to catch the final of your favourite event, and if esports audiences want to gather, they can do so at home, bars, or in arenas.
Eddie is a gaming and crypto writer at CCN. Covering the often weird and wonderful world of Web3 with an adoring, but skeptical eye.
Prior to CCN, Eddie has spent the past seven years working his way through the crypto, finance, and technology industry. He began with PR and journalism with Bitcoin PR Buzz and BitcoinNews.com, eventually working his way to become a copywriter with a dozen firms, including the likes of Polkadot before returning to journalism in 2023.
Having studied Radio production and journalism at University in the UK, Eddie spent a few years making podcasts and presenting on a local London radio station as he built up his writing chops.
A lifelong skateboarder, Eddie can often be found at the skatepark or touring the streets looking for something new to try. That, or kicking back playing JRPGs on his original PSP.
