THE OLYMPIC GAMES AND ESPORTS: HOPELESS MARRIAGE OR OBVIOUS PAIRING?

Esports has exploded into a $2 billion global industry, attracting over 500 million spectators worldwide and offering the International Olympic Committee (IOC) unprecedented opportunities to connect with younger, digitally native audiences. Yet the integration of esports into the Olympic Games remains complex and contested. Unlike traditional sports, esports titles are privately owned, meaning game publishers control competition access, formats, and rights—creating major legal, cultural, and governance challenges for Olympic inclusion. While esports could help the Olympics boost youth engagement, reduce infrastructure costs, and modernise competition formats for a global digital era, significant risks remain. Without careful governance reform and authentic collaboration with gaming communities, the IOC faces the danger of alienating both esports fans and traditional Olympic stakeholders. This episode explores whether the convergence of esports and the Olympics represents an obvious opportunity for innovation or a hopeless mismatch between two fundamentally different worlds.

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