COVID-19 and esport: digital mediation in a restricted world

This chapter assesses the impact of COVID-19 on the fast-growing field of esports. The chapter starts by discussing the growth of esports leading into 2020, and how the pandemic shaped the field and its positioning within both the sport industry and the entertainment industry. The chapter also examines how esports were leveraged during the first year of the pandemic to take advantage of the fact many traditional sporting leagues paused for a period. The chapter also considers how esports can emerge even stronger in the post-pandemic sporting environment.