By Bella Michaels
The rise of Esports has seen tremendous growth in terms of viewership and revenue, leaving a huge impact on the sports and entertainment landscape all over the world.
Within the DePaul community, Esports has taken an even bigger role through the pandemic since it was one of the only safe ways to continue doing sports.
As it continues to grow exponentially, it’s best for students to get in on the business of Esports now rather than later.
This upcoming Autumn quarter, DePaul is offering MGT 344 “The Business of Esports,” a course to educate students on the numerous aspects of the industry.
The class will be held Tuesdays from 1:30-4:45 p.m.
Some of the areas of focus will be revenue streams, role of publishers and game developers, key stakeholders game genres, tournaments and events, media, marketing, sponsorship, diversity and inclusion.
Students will get the opportunity to work on a “real world” Esports business project that will shine on a resume, rather than just reading textbook information on the topic.
The Global Esports audience reached 397.8 million people in 2019 and is expected to increase to 577.2 million by 2021.
Photo Courtesy of Newzoo
Esports has redefined how managers, marketers and event producers connect with their target audience. Students will learn to apply their transferrable business skills to the business.
Athletes and teams are marketed differently in Esports compared to other traditional sports, so students will look at how different platforms like Twitch have redefined sports viewing and the interaction between athletes and fans.
There will be numerous guest lecturers that students can gain experience from and leverage for their own careers, including DePaul alumni who are now working in the industry.
Students are not required to have deep prior knowledge of eSports or traditional sports.
If interested in this course, contact Andy Clark, the director of sports business programs at DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business or directly enroll on Campus Connect.
“The Esports ecosystem is about more than just gaming,” said Kevin O’Brien (Bus ’20). “There are opportunities in management, marketing, sponsorship, communication, events and more. You will gain access to experts in the industry and competitions that will expand your knowledge in this booming industry.”