More than any other type of sport, eSports has exploded in popularity. Since eSports was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2017, the sport has only grown. In addition to growing viewership, it has also been recognized by major broadcast networks and the world’s largest technology companies (Amazon, Google and Facebook).

In eSports, professionally trained players compete against each other in a variety of games and genres. They include everything from first-person shooters like Overwatch and Call of Duty, to MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2, to fighting games like Street Fighter and Super Smash Bros.
With so many options, you may be wondering where and how to watch the latest eSports action. Fortunately, there are many options for streaming eSports on your desktop, laptop, TV or mobile device. In this article, we’ll cover where and how to watch eSports on your preferred device, as well as the best games on each.

Best ways to watch eSports streaming

Streaming eSports is a huge business with estimates of more than 600 million viewers worldwide by 2023. The three largest services in use today are Amazon’s Twitch, Facebook Gaming and Google’s YouTube Gaming. It’s no surprise that the big three tech companies are part of the action, as game streaming provides a healthy chunk of revenue for these companies due to billions of hours of streaming games annually.
Twitch accounts for the majority of this market, with more than 72% of all game streams occurring on the platform. Still, they all offer unique streams and eSports competitions for viewers to enjoy, so there are plenty of reasons to check each of them out.

Twitch

Twitch is the largest of all eSports streaming services. Originally launched as an independent company, it is now owned by Amazon and sees continued audience growth, especially in 2020.
Because of its influence on the game streaming industry in general, Twitch has launched an eSports directory that allows eSports fans to follow the latest tournaments. Using this directory, you can see which of your favorite games, such as Fortnite, Valorant or Rocket League, are currently hosting live tournaments. These tournaments, known as Twitch Rivals, pit professionals against their favorite streamers, and you can watch your favorite players take part in these matches.
Using these tools, streamers and professionals can organize their own tournaments for viewers to enjoy. Many companies host their own eSports tournaments on Twitch, though not always exclusively. Blizzard’s Overwatch League eSports matches and the annual Evo fighting game series, among others, are regulars on the platform.

YouTube Gaming

Aside from Twitch, YouTube Gaming has had the biggest impact among both streamers and eSports fans. Google set its sights on eSports in early 2020, signing an exclusive deal with Activision-Blizzard to stream Call of Duty League, Overwatch League and competitive Hearthstone. Prior to this deal, Twitch was the place to watch these eSports competitions, so this is potentially a big boon for YouTube Gaming when these leagues launch.
According to Nielsen data, the Overwatch League attracted 313,000 viewers per minute, making it one of the largest eSports leagues. Unlike traditional sports, eSports are mainly watched after the game, rather than live.
ESports matches are uploaded to YouTube after the live broadcast and usually accumulate millions of views there. This makes post-match viewing a natural evolution of eSports and helps fans easily follow some of the biggest tournaments in the industry.

Facebook Gaming

Facebook began making inroads into the eSports community with the launch of Facebook Gaming in 2018. The service began gaining steam with exclusive signings, including prominent streamer Disguised Toast in late 2019, but it also created a comprehensive eSports platform for Facebook users to enjoy rounds of Call of Duty: Warzone and Among Us.
Known as Tournaments, the feature allows amateur eSports players to create and run their own tournaments. Through the power of Facebook events, streamers can invite their Facebook friends and groups of eSports gamers to watch or get involved.
The level of play may not be as high on Facebook Tournaments as on Twitch, simply because it is not as popular as Twitch. However, there is still an opportunity to see some great action and get to know your favorite streamers better. In the highly competitive and saturated world of eSports, that certainly counts for a lot.

How to watch eSports on TV

While eSports streaming is usually done online, there are also many options for watching eSports on TV. If this is your preference, there are several channels that are known for their eSports broadcasts, mainly ESPN, BBC and TBS.
While you can’t expect regular eSports broadcasts on these channels, they have hosted some of the biggest eSports tournaments, with professional coverage. If you prefer to watch eSports on TV, here are the best places to do so.

ESPN 2 and Disney XD

Disney-owned ESPN2 was the first TV channel to broadcast eSports. In 2017, ESPN2 partnered with the EVO fighting game series to broadcast the Street Fighter V Grand Finals for its viewers. It proved so popular that Disney began streaming Street Fighter V Grand Finals on Disney XD, a channel typically focused on entertainment for young children.
Since then, ESPN2 has also committed to broadcasting matches of other games within the EVO fighting game community, including Tekken 7, Injustice 2 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The channel has also branched out into other eSports genres, including the Rocket League tournament during X Games and the annual Madden NFL Championship Series in partnership with EA Sports.

BBC

The BBC has long been committed to robust eSports coverage, with a particular focus on MOBAs such as League of Legends and Dota 2. The British broadcaster hosts the UK League Championship (UKLC) and the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC).
The UKLC features the best League of Legends players from the UK and Ireland, while the NLC widens the scope a bit and adds players from all over Northern Europe, including Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
While this may be of more interest to European eSports fans, the tournaments represent a broad partnership between League of Legends developer Riot Games and the BBC. For MOBA fans who prefer to watch eSports on TV, the BBC is a great place to see the best coverage.

TBS

AT&T-owned Warner Media is a relatively new name in eSports broadcasting. Through its TBS channel, the company has established its own eSports league called ELEAGUE. Broadcast as a TV show with individual seasons, ELEAGUE is home to a variety of games, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Street Fighter V and Rocket League.
Unlike many other eSports organizations, gamers are not tied to ELEAGUE by exclusive contracts. This means they can simultaneously broadcast online through platforms such as Twitch and YouTube Gaming. ELEAGUE itself has also created a lot of content through these online platforms that is not exclusive to TBS. This makes it more of a hybrid-style platform that also allows viewers to see their favorite players anywhere, whether on a traditional TV broadcast or their preferred streaming service.

Summary

As more and more content moves online, eSports has the opportunity to expand its reach even further. Streaming is becoming a bigger part of the larger entertainment industry, and eSports professionals, streaming personalities and fans all stand to benefit from greater exposure of eSports to the public.
Many celebrities, including actor Will Smith, rapper Drake, basketball legend Michael Jordan and others have invested in eSports because they all believe in the longevity and enduring popularity of the medium.
It’s all part of the future of entertainment, as more and more eSports fans watch game coverage on platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming, as well as on traditional TV channels like ESPN2 and the BBC. The sky is the limit for eSports, and fortunately for its fans, you can get in on the action almost anywhere.