The startups that power the esports you love

Electronic sports (esports) were gaining popularity and widespread interest in the Startup Nation even before Covid, as we wrote in April. The pandemic set back some elements, such as in-person tournaments, but accelerated others, such as overall viewership. Now, improved relations with Israel’s neighbors and the hope that a vaccine may return life to normal, has helped Israel on its way to becoming an esports center. One exciting development is that the southern city of Eilat will host the 12th Esports World Championship early next year if conditions allow. The good and the bad While esports blossomed this year along with all other digital platforms, physical events and tournaments have been on hold during the pandemic. Aside from the obvious social and entertainment value, tournaments take place in person because different server speeds across the world can impact the performance of gamers, causing an unfair advantage. However, viewership and participation have increased significantly in many countries. As this source indicates, “in March alone, Twitch’s viewership increased 10% and YouTube Gaming by 15%, according to a VentureBeat graphic on Statista. Furthermore, Twitch’s number of active users jumped from 4 million earlier this year to 7.5 million by September.” Kevin Baxpehler, managing…
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