An exciting and rapidly growing industry for sports communication professionals is esports. Just like the traditional sports industry, the esports field needs many professionals and specialists to ensure events run smoothly, players are treated equitably, and fans stay engaged with the industry. In this blog, we will discuss just a few of the many esports career options available to Sports Communication and Sports Journalism graduates.
Esports is an industry that has made video games a competitive sport. Internationally popular, esports tournaments broadcast gaming to fans with live commentary. The field has a wide variety of gaming formats and types, such as single-player games, multiplayer battle games, and team-based tournaments. The flexibility and variety of this rapidly growing industry makes it an excellent field for sports communication professionals to build their careers.
Career 1: Esports Agent:
Esports agents are responsible for helping their clients find opportunities, overseeing contracts, and arranging sponsorships. They may also manage their players’ image by working with marketing and public relations specialists to ensure players are getting the right kind of visibility. The average salary for an esports agent in the States is about $101,000 USD.
Career 2: Esports Analyst:
Esports analysts are the data analysts of the esports industry. Analysts take raw data from esports games and interpret the trends or patterns within that data. Once analysts interpret this data, agents might use this information to help their players improve, or game designers might use it to improve their designs. The work of esports analysts is integral to the work of many other esports professionals. On average, esports analysts make a salary of about $73,000 USD in the US.
Career 3: Esports Journalist
Esports journalists create relevant media about esports happenings. This may include covering a live esports event, interviewing professional esports players, writing about recent esports developments, etc. Similar to the career options in traditional sports journalism, esports journalists may specialize in writing, audio broadcasting, or televised reporting. The average salary for an esports journalist is about $57,000 USD, making this a solid career for anyone interested in journalism and the sports industry.
Career 4: Public Relations Specialist
Public relations specialists are important for many industries. Within the esports world, public relations specialists may help with fan relations, event management, content management, or crisis communication. Regardless of the specific projects they oversee, esports public relations specialists ensure that media and communication campaigns maintain the desired image of their client or company. On average, esports public relations specialists in the US make around $83,000 USD per year.
Career 5: Esports Manager
Esports managers oversee the many operations of an esports team or organization. The manager of an esports team might select competitions for the team to enter, manage team training schedules, oversee payroll for the team, and more. When working for an organization, an esports manager might oversee the operations of multiple teams. The average salary of an esports manager in the US is about $63,000 USD per year.
How to Break into the Esports Industry
Some careers in the esports industry require a university degree, and some prefer a graduate degree. Several universities offer esports-specific degrees, which is a great option if you know you only want to work within the esports industry.
If you are interested in exploring careers in both esports and traditional sports, you may choose a broader degree. Emerson is one of only 9 universities in the US offering a Sports Communication graduate degree. In this program, students learn about branding, user experience, digital media, sports law, and more. This holistic approach to sports communication prepares students to work in both traditional sports and esports industries as sports diplomacy specialists, sports journalists, and more.
An ever-growing industry, esports is an excellent area for sports communication professionals to find a career. To find more job opportunities in the esports field, be sure to check out Global Sports’ Jobs section.
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