Fifa could see competition from eSports for viewers and ad dollars if Tencent and others can calm health concerns


Part of the appeal of eSports is that it opens up new possibilities to less physically-gifted kids, and could redefine what it takes to be an 'athlete'.

Banners with pictures of star-players were lined up outside the stadium next to the fried chicken stands. A pre-game concert with top-shelf K-pop stars and fireworks warmed up the crowd. The only thing separating this from a World Cup football game was that instead of waiting for goals, we were cheering as gamers battled for supremacy on three enormous plasma screens.

The roar of the crowd at 2018’s League Of Legends World Championship in South Korea was all it took to convince this reporter – a sceptic at first – that eSports will soon compete with the likes of the NBA and Fifa for spectators and advertising money.

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