Major Streaming Companies Threatened by Fortnite as Gaming Communities Capitalize on eSports Explosion - Seite 2

These days, Gen-X, Millennial and Post-Millennial gamers frequent popular media sites such as Destructoid, Daily eSports, Operation Sports and the Escapist (all owned by Enthusiast Gaming) or on Twitch, a streaming network that Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) purchased back in 2014 for $1-billion. Within these networks, gaming enthusiasts become part of a wider community, sharing their passion for video games while discussing tips and strategies. This is why companies like Enthusiast Gaming (TSX-V:EGLX) (OTCQB:EGHIF) who understand the value of building a network have positioned themselves at the forefront of the video gaming market.

Cultivating these communities is how Menashe Kestenbaum, founder and CEO of Enthusiast Gamin, got his start when he began writing for a then-new gaming site called IGN. Connecting for the first time with people as passionate about gaming as he was, Kestenbaum went on to start a passion blog named "Nintendo Enthusiast", taking his followers with him, and organizing small meetups of gamers at a local Toronto pub.

It's a testament to the popularity of video gaming and eSports that over the next three years, this single blog grew into one of the largest network of gaming enthusiasts in North America. Enthusiast Gaming (TSX-V:EGLX) (OTCQB:EGHIF) now boasts a network of 80 sites and counting, drawing over 75 million visitors a month. High-performing sites become targets for buyouts from Enthusiast Gaming. It's on these online communities, where gamers actually learn how to excel at multiplayer games such as Fortnite and learn about their favourite teams and players. This record haul contributed to pushing digital games revenue up 11% to $109.8 billion last year.

Enthusiast Gaming (TSX:EGLX) (OTCQB:EGHIF) recognize the opportunity that lies in multiplayer games such as Fortnite, Overwatch and League of Legends. To truly grasp the size of this opportunity, we need to first understand that online gamers and the gaming community are essentially recreating the very thing that traditionally makes live television into a tremendously profitable ratings juggernaut. With multiplayer games, we can now have must-watch live eSports events seen by millions and then sell ads at these showcases. Currently, these events are streamed online through sites such as Amazon's Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and the Microsoft-owned Mixer, but there's been talk about streaming services such as Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) getting into streaming eSports too.