The success of the overwatch league: is it sustainable?

Abstract

Esports are a growing industry across the world. This thesis reviews the history/success of several esport leagues and identifies the factors that make these leagues successful. As a result of preliminary research, the primary goal of this study will be to develop a model that could predict the success of esport leagues. These factors include mainstream appeal of esports, league structure examples, and general broadcasting reach. The model is then used to examine the Overwatch League, an esport league that began competition in 2018, and concludes that the Overwatch League is structured for sustained success in the esport market.