Delaware is a state close to the major US business and sporting hubs, such as The Big Apple, Philly, and The Capital City. And yet, it doesn’t host any significant sports club. The second smallest federal state, The Diamond State is home to a bit more than 1 million people, while the largest town is Wilmington, with some 70,000 inhabitants living within the core city.
All these facts show that there’s no particular economic power that would lay the foundations for the launch of a significant major league-level sports club.
However, what they lack in tangible sports, Delawareans make up for in eSports. Namely, Delaware is one of the most prominent US states in terms of support for eSports from a logistical and educational point of view.
This article analyses the hows and whys of the local eSports scene, with some practical insights into some state-based teams.
The Business Potential of eSports in DE
Before we move on to the Newark- and Wilmington-based eSports squads, let’s first go over the business potential of eSports in Delaware.
Even though we’ve already highlighted that no major clubs are headquartered in this state, it doesn’t mean that the local people don’t have their favorite clubs. For instance, many Delawareans root for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL, the Sixers in the NBA, the Phillies in the MLB, and the Flyers in the NHL. Even though some might name the Brooklyn Nets as their favorite NBA club, most Delaware hearts beat for Philly-based clubs.
So, when talking about eSports, those clubs have a significant followership in the digital world. Be it social media pages, video games, or iGaming platforms, the Philly-stationed major league clubs get a fair share of attention from Delaware. Many iGaming websites ranked by betting experts available in Delaware offer favorable odds for those sports teams. In the words of betting analyst Lewis Humphries, local citizens can either opt for brick-and-mortar parlors with native licenses, which are less likely to offer odds on eSports, or instead place their bets on advanced websites.
This intriguing variety of options for sports enthusiasts makes way for gamers, punters, and betting service providers to find what they need. All these specifics place Delaware high on the list of business potential in eSports, given its size and modest output in professional sports.
Now let’s look at the edutainment side of eSports in this federal state.
Educational Background of Electronic Sports
Only two decades ago, gaming was still considered rather a pastime activity than a lucrative industry. When we look at the gaming industry timeline, it’s clear that the turn of the century has also turned the gaming tide. The rapid development of the Internet in the last 15-20 years has paved the way for multiplayer gaming, which was the most important quantum leap towards eSports.
At this moment, experienced and far-sighted stakeholders in education are pushing the frontier, offering gaming studies within their universities. The Wilmington University (WilmU) in Delaware is one such institution, as its arts director Matthew Wilson recently presented their special program in eSports, which will address coding, web design, and marketing. Complementary with some other tech programs, it will allow students to learn as much as possible about building video games of the future.
What’s more, WilmU has joined forces with Future First Gaming – a local eSports company, so that their students get a chance to apply their theoretical knowledge and gain some practical experience.
Having mentioned above how tiny Delaware is, in comparison with some other federal states, it comes as a surprise that another local educational institution has turned to eSports. The University of Delaware (UoD), located in Newark, DE, has recently launched the Bachelor of Arts in Game and eSports program. A combination of programming, marketing, and web design, with the addition of cultural awareness and multimedia management, this module is here to teach young people how to join the field of eSports with some prior knowledge. To top it off, this university hosts a winning eSports crew that already participates in various eSports events and wins trophies.
The Future of Delaware eSports
With their passion for sports events and all the accompanying paraphernalia, the people of Delaware have grown fertile ground to make eSports a propulsive local niche. And if we know that the expected market volume of eSports in the US will have surpassed 1.5 billion by 2028, the bits and pieces of the Delaware eSports puzzle suddenly start to fit together. Some of those kids attending the discussed gaming programs at the two local universities will soon be startup founders and managers at relevant eSports companies. Others will soon enter the labor market, raising the bar in that specific field in terms of competencies and potential placement.
Such a nudge will surely benefit the Delaware business scene, bolding its area on the US business map.
What’s more, the development of modern solutions in other industries will push eSports forward even faster. For instance, cryptocurrencies have become a popular, easily available payment method. Some eSports events already accept them for payments, while others award prizes in crypto. Moreover, there are also numerous crypto betting sites up and running, offering different games for eSports matches. With the further growth of integrated interactive gaming experience, we can expect that all those various fields will overlap, to provide eSportspeople and their followers with the best possible gaming comfort.
Conclusion
For the time being, eSports are steadily growing, becoming a visible part of the gaming industry. Based on the above, we can expect further investments in eSporting events, educational programs, and online platforms for easier streaming of such manifestations. States like Delaware, together with their local communities, are the trailblazers of such innovations, and others should follow in their footsteps.
