Despite the fact that esports sits within the current sporting landscape, and the fact that so many recognisable entities from the world of traditional sport are getting involved, it’s still a brave new world.

Not only are esports different in terms of structure and culture, but they also attract a different fan base. It’s not just teams and leagues who want to get involved who need to understand that.

In order for the sector to grow, new sponsors need to come on board, and just like we’ve seen in traditional sports, esports teams need to be able to engage with their fans in the right way and enable their sponsors to get in on the action so as to add value to the deal their partners have agreed to.

Already that’s something that sport fails to do adequately at times. But when world-renowned football clubs and US sports teams get involved with esports, they’re facing the same issues in a different context – and one they’re not as familiar with.

The answer is learning about the new audience, how they consume esports, why they enjoy it and how they respond to sponsors and ads.