Money Report - Can eSports be compared to traditional sports?
Filipe Alves Rodrigues: I understand that yes, they can. Some people in the electronic sports industry are not interested in this discussion. They believe that as the activity generates profit and promotes a series of competitions, it does not need the government or other entity to say whether it is sport or not. I think recognition is important, because traditional sport gets state incentives, and these could be, in part, targeted at eSports. Recognition could democratize activity in Brazil, which is still elitist - having access to more modern computers and cell phones is expensive. In addition, this change of threshold could open access to new funding lines, such as the Agnelo Piva Law, which transfers resources raised with the lotteries to the Olympic sport. This money could enable the construction of training centers and the exchange of athletes with other countries, for example.
And how do you see the Brazilian eSports market?
It is a growing niche, with more and more enthusiasts in the country. Research by Dutch consultancy Newzoo shows that Brazil is the third largest electronic sports market in the world, second only to the United States and China. The number of fans rose from 6.6 million in 2017 to 7.6 million in 2018 and should reach 12.6 million in 2021. These numbers are quite expressive.
What are the reasons for recent growth?
I attribute this move to the advancement in internet access and the increase in the number of people with more modern phones. Nowadays, several smartphones are already able to run games like Fortnite and Clash Royale. You do not need to have a computer turbo charged to play. In addition, electronic sport is also entertainment. Some people do not compete with each other, they only follow the high-level championships.
What are the most popular games in Brazil?
We have Counter Strike, which has been successful for more than 20 years and is not only revered by the younger ones - on the contrary, most of its fans have already passed 25 years. League of Legends (LoL) is also very popular, as it has managed to attract a diverse audience and has already formed idols in eSports, such as Felipe "brTT" of Flamengo, which has 672,000 followers on Facebook. The Rainbow Six is another game that calls attention, with several teams with Brazilians participating in international competitions.
What could be done to make the country even more relevant in this market?
There are a number of players in this ecosystem, such as game developers, tournament organizers, club leagues, athletes, sponsors and fans. All relevant developers are in the Northern hemisphere, especially the United States and Europe, such as Blizzard. This shows a large deficit in our industry, which goes beyond electronic sports. There is no intense development of games in Brazil, our promotion for this is rather narrow. Major events have come to the country recently, but the private market has yet to attract more tournaments. This only comes with investment.
Does Brazil have a good opportunity to grow in this niche?
No doubt. This business segment is growing to double digits in the country. What is the other sector of our economy that is growing at this rate? We have to take advantage of this boom, as Americans are doing. They see the numbers and prepare for the next decade, not just for the next two or three years. By encouraging eSports tournaments in high school and universities, they create a foundation to train great researchers, athletes, developers and tournament organizers, who will make the country a power in the sector. Our Olympic sport, for example, could not do that and today we have serious problems. Now we are facing a new opportunity to do something different.
Source: Money Report
