What do the New York Yankees and the Golden State Warriors have in common?

They have both invested in the North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS). The NA LCS is an esports league, where professional gamers play League of Legends for millions of dollars.

The league consists of ten teams that have all individually received investments for the ten million dollar entrance fee. The league is divided into two different seasons: spring and summer. After the spring season, the best teams around the world—from China to South America—play in the Mid-Season Invitational: a $2 million tournament. After the summer season, teams from all around the world compete in the World Championship: a $5 million tournament.

In North America, franchising was announced at the end of 2016. In soccer, the lowest teams are dropped and the best teams in the lower divisions are promoted. Franchising means that teams will solidify their positions in the league, as there will no longer be relegations like in soccer. This enables teams to focus on progress rather than short-term achievements.

Many may be confused by the logic of watching professional video games, but video gamers watch these players because the professionals are the best at the game.

“Well, I think that League of Legends is a really fun game,” said Jeffrey Song (’20). “Esports really allows the casual gamers to learn more about the game and watch professionals.”

At Worlds this year, there were over 40 million viewers and over 14 million concurrent viewers. Compared to the average of 5 million viewers in the Stanley Cup, it would not be incorrect to say that esports is already bigger than some real sports.

“I really think that esports will be huge,” said Andrew Hau (’20). “I went to the finals in Las Vegas, and the stadium was packed. Everyone was screaming and everyone was invested in the game.” This is not uncommon. Last year, Riot Games held the semifinals for the Worlds tournament in Madison Square Garden for two days. It sold out for both days. The finals were at Staples Center, and that event also sold out.

With the continuous rise of esports, it is expected that NA LCS will continue to grow, and big-name investors will be interested in buying spots. For esports fans, the continuous rise in viewership will woo investors in, which will hopefully help esports become mainstream.