ShareThe comeback of the Call of Duty League (CDL) to the streaming platform Twitch may play a significant role in propelling the growth of Esports betting. In 2019, the CDL began with 12 teams, each requiring a $25 million buy-in, and they competed in a range of online and offline events, culminating in a multi-million-dollar World Championship. However, team owners became disillusioned with the league due to fleeting fan participation and viewership concerns.
Despite its initial struggles, the league is turning a corner. The switch to Twitch resulted in an opening weekend viewership peak of approximately 200,000 concurrent viewers, surpassing last year's game, which had only 79,000 viewers.
Twitch's Influence on Pushing the Boundaries of Esports Betting
Twitch was the primary broadcasting platform during the early days of Call of Duty. However, the CDL later secured a three-year deal with YouTube, estimated at $160 million, covering Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Cold War, and Vanguard, which led to the game's departure from its long-standing home on Twitch.Now, with the expiration of that deal, the league announced its return to Twitch just one day before the first set of matches. This move was highly anticipated by various stakeholders, including team personnel and fans, who had expressed their desire to return to Twitch amidst the league's numerous challenges.
The response from the public was immediate and rewarding. According to Esports charts, the Call of Duty League 2023: Stage 1 Major Qualifiers reached a peak viewership of 192,943, thanks to the Call of Duty League's mainstream and co-streamers. This viewership was the highest for a non-World Championship event and the fourth-highest overall in the league's history. It bodes well for the league, as viewership usually increases for LAN-based "majors" rather than online qualifiers.
Call of Duty and Twitch Collaborate to Shape the Future of Esports Betting
The convergence of Call of Duty and Twitch, particularly with the excellent viewership numbers during the opening weekend, could be the catalyst for the surging popularity of Esports and high stakes betting. As the industry is projected to exceed $13 billion in value by 2023, garnering more attention for Esports will drive its growth.The potential for Esports betting still needs to be explored, despite some sportsbooks already offering daily fantasy contests, tournament result predictions, and betting lines on matches. However, increasing visibility is one of the easiest ways to attract more gambling participation, making the early success on Twitch highly encouraging. Furthermore, understanding the broader Esports landscape is crucial, considering the competition from other popular games like Warzone, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Halo, Counter-Strike, and League of Legends.
Engaging a younger generation that grew up playing video games is crucial to Esports betting. Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, emphasized that future bettors are emerging from the gaming community. The viewership for Call of Duty's first LAN event will likely reveal more insights.
