Paris considers eSports for 2024 Olympic program

Known as eSports, competitive video gaming has gain space and entered the mainstream. With an audience of eSports fans expected to reach 145 million people this year, according to data gathered by Fortune, it’s no wonder Olympic officials might seize a share of these market, as well.

"We have to look at eSports because we can’t say, ‘It’s not us. It’s not about Olympics,’ ” Estanguet told the Associated Press. "The youth, yes they are interested in eSport and this kind of thing. Let’s look at it. Let’s meet them. Let’s try if we can find some bridges,” Estanguet added.

Estanguet continued: "I don’t want to say ‘no’ from the beginning. I think it’s interesting to interact with the IOC, with them, the eSports family, to better understand what the process is and why it is such a success.”

Estanguet did not offer further details about which games might compose medal events, but there is already a precedent being set for adding eSports to major sporting competitions.

The Asian Games will debut eSports as an exhibition event next year before adding it to its official program in 2022. The Olympic Council of Asia announced the decision in April, noting that first the eSports events would appear at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which are set to take place next month.

Organizers plan on offering four events featuring four games: Dota 2, StarCraft II, Hearthstone and a sports game, still to be decided, but will be either from the FIFA or NBA series.

Obviously, any program in the Olympics would not offer that level of prize money, but medals could be just as valuable in terms of prestige.

To add any new sport, however, French officials would have to get the support of the IOC, which could prove a hurdle. In April, IOC President Thomas Bach did not sound convinced that eSports would fit in at the Olympics.

"We are not yet 100 percent clear whether eSports is really sport, with regard to physical activity and what it needs to be considered sport,” Bach said (via Inside the Games). "We do not see an organization or a structure that will give us confidence, or guarantee, that in this area the Olympic rules and values of sport are respected and in place, and that the implementation of these rules are monitored and secured.”

To become an Olympic event, sports must demonstrate a certain level of international organization, including having a world governing body. For example, swimming and diving events are overseen by the FINA, international basketball by FIBA, soccer by FIFA, etc.

Source: GMB / Washington Post