Funk, D. C., Pizzo, A. D.,

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|Funk, D. C., Pizzo, A. D., & Baker, B. J. (2018). eSport management: Embracing eSport education and research opportunities. Sport Management Review, 21(1), 7-13

This article offers a different yet similar perspective into eSports as a digital mass media phenomenon. This is because it not only talks about whether or not eSport should be defined as a sport but also some other important issues regarding eSport such as labor issues if eSports were to officially be recognized as a sport. As well as some of those legal ramifications as well as some other subtopics within eSport such as collegiate eSport and the governance of the eSport community. Furthermore the implications of eSport on sport management studies and gender and diversity within the ‘sport’. As to whether or not eSport should, in fact, be considered sport I will speak on that briefly as that is the main subject of another article written on this data base, that being said think of it this way, motocross or NASCAR is no less a sport than eSport in that both require more than just the human body for physical activity and some level of skill to perform they both can also result in physical injury just as eSport. What will be further discussed in this article is some of the infrastructure, and legal ramifications around eSport.


An interesting note of this article which is more up to date then the last actually offers an explanation as to whether or not eSport players can get athletic visa’s to play in the U.S. One player did receive such a visa in 2013 however another player was kicked out of the U.S and did not receive his athletic visa in 2015 because the game he played “Super Smash Bros” was not deemed an eSport or sport by the U.S government. This speaks to the idea that not all games are a sport just like not all sport are games. Speaking to some of the legal aspects of officially regulated professional video game players as athletes and as a sport, this would result in exposing the industry to similar regulations such as sports betting and wagering laws. The article also notes some clear issues with who actually owns eSport as each game title has different developers and therefore owners unlike traditional sport where the NBA, NHL or NFL are a governing body of the sport in a particular region or area where other bodies can still have the sport played under different rules whereas in eSport a software changed would need to be made to adjust rules. The article also mentions some of the economic growth of the industry as well as colleges and universities across North America offering scholarships to players. What’s more is the positions that need to be filled across the industry as its growth has rapidly exceeded its regulation. Contract requirements, salary standards etc. are something that needs to be addressed as well as the positons of managers, promoters, members of regulatory bodies and so on and so forth not just the players. This is still very much a developing industry, with NBA teams having an NBA2k draft for video game players and each team having their own eSport team which will play 82 game seasons on salaries like traditional sports athletes. It seems that there is a lot more to come.


This articles strength is that it is very current and offers perspective on many aspects of the industry as it is evolving as a digital mass media presence. What’s more is that this article discusses progress in these topics and where to move forward or what can be done. A weakness however of this article is that eSport needs to be more welcoming as some of the content as the author of this article says plagues the eSport community with racism, misogyny and homophobia. Which in my personal opinion is not an eSport issue rather an issue with people. eSport is a global phenomenon and allows many different people to play those people who offer many perspectives although very wrong become a part of the community simply because of the access to it not as a result of content in my opinion. This assumption I feel is some of the authors own bias.

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