Course Schedule
Please note that course schedules may be amended due to low enrollment, faculty availability, and/or other factors.
Online Sync Sessions are an integral part of the online learning experience. Additional information about learning concepts and assignments may be discussed and sync sessions offer valuable opportunities for students to interact with their faculty and peers during the term. We encourage all students to attend live, but if they are unable to, sync sessions will be recorded and posted within Canvas to allow for an asynchronous model of success as well.
MSA 421-DL : The Business of Esports
Description
Beginning with an introduction to the history of competitive gaming, this course will take students through an exploration of the evolving professional and amateur esports industry. The esports industry has experienced a relatively recent meteoric rise in the world of sports business. Video games and competitive gaming are now a mainstream form of global entertainment and analysts predict the global games market is expected to grow from $137.9 billion in 2018 to more than $180.1 billion in 2021. In this course, students will become familiar with the various elements unique to the esports ecosystem including understanding different game genres, examination of the publisher’s role in esports, different competitive structures, and the organization of professional teams and players. This course will provide students with an understanding of esports competitive structures across the value chain and critically analyze the current esports environment and identify the potential it has for future growth, while also recognizing potential industry risks. Students will examine the unique differences between traditional sports and the esports industry related to revenue potential, as well as examine the functional classification of esports in culture and society. We will examine different aspects surrounding the culture of esports including streaming, media platforms, inclusivity, online toxicity and sportsmanship, and scholastic esports all which are contributing to a new industry which is changing the way many organizations approach sports business.