Date of Award

Spring 5-7-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Department

Recreation and Sport Management

College

College of Science

First Advisor

Chelsea Kaunert Whiteman

Abstract/Description

Esports has been a significant new topic over the past decade but their place in the sports industry has not been specifically defined over the years. The birth of what we know as Esports came upon us in 1972 and has only had exponentially grown in the success it has had over the past fifty years. It all started with a popular little arcade game that is still played to this day, Space Invaders. Space Invaders has evolved over the years, laying the foundation and the blueprint for success for companies to follow. Esports easily had a drastic take off when companies like ESPN, Twitch, and even YouTube were in coemptions to stream and support these athletes. Electronic Art Sports and NCAA were two companies that did collaborations to be successful in the gaming world until a case came upon with Ed O’Bannon. O’Bannon sued for being used with his likeliness and image without consent ultimately changing the landscape of things for NCAA and their athletes. The development over the last five years for Esports has changed the whole scope and for everyone within the industry.

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