Competitive gaming now fills and sells like a traditional sport.
Its economics, however, differ in one decisive way.
Football is owned by nobody, while every competitive game is owned by a company.
That company can change the rules, the map or the of the game overnight.
It can also end the competitive scene by withdrawing support.
Teams therefore build on ground they do not own, which makes long contracts risky.
Player careers are short, often ending before twenty-five.
declines, and the training load is heavier than most spectators assume.
Twelve-hour practice days produced a wave of wrist and back injuries before teams hired .
Most organisations now practice hours, which is a change borrowed from conventional sport.
Prize money is concentrated at the very top, as in tennis or golf.
Below that level, income comes from , which rewards personality rather than skill.
Many professional players therefore spend more hours performing than competing.