IOC Ready to Engage With Esports Community

(ATR) The IOC says an esports forum in Lausanne this week will not deliver a roadmap for video gaming to enter the Olympics.

Around 170 delegates will meet at the Olympic museum to "build joint understanding and set a platform for future engagement between the esports and gaming industries and the Olympic Movement".

The event, jointly organized by the IOC and GAISF, the umbrella body for Olympic and non-Olympic sports, will involve the participation of esports leaders, players, publishers, teams, media, sponsors and event organizer. The Olympic Movement will be represented by the IOC, NOCs, international federations and athletes.

Speaking exclusively to Around the Rings, IOC sports director Kit McConnell said: "We are really looking to understand esports and how it works, building on those existing links that have been made through a number of different parts of the Olympic Movement already with the esports community and seeing how that engagement can work moving forward.

"I think it is going to be a fascinating discussion."

Underlining the importance of athletes from both sides sharing their experiences on various issues including training, competition and gender equality, he insisted that the forum was not designed to be a springboard for esports to join the Olympics anytime soon.

"Let’s be clear that’s not the objective of the day and not the objective of the engagement and forum, to create a pathway to get Esports into the program of the Olympic Games. That’s not the case. We are not looking to do that," he said.

With the IOC attempting to widen its appeal to the younger generation through the Youth Olympics and additions to the summer and winter sports program, the Esports Forum comes at a critical juncture.

McConnell points to Olympic sports such as FIFA, ice hockey and basketball who are already represented by esports versions of themselves which are proving "incredibly popular".

"Beyond that, we have seen a number of Olympic federations develop games and strategies related to esports – electronic and competitive online versions of their sport but also engagement strategies for their sport with the esports community," he said.

"In many ways this is why the timing is right for this Esports Forum, to build on what is happening across so many parts of the Olympic Movement already,", he added, underscoring the growing importance Olympic sponsors and broadcasters are attaching to the esports industry.

Asked if there were rights-holding discussions to be had and if revenue potential from licensing deals involving esports was a topic, the IOC’s sports chief "that’s not the primary driver", although a number of sports will be looking for further engagement and licensing opportunities.

"The goal is to build on the understanding we have through some really open discussions and see what types of engagement we can have moving forward. It’s not to monetize or commercialise that at this stage," McConnell said.

He admitted that the perspectives of rights holders, broadcasters and commercial partners "will be interesting on the outcomes and opportunities".

For the IOC, the esports summit is the first chance for stakeholders to get to grips with the fast-moving gaming industry.

So what are the next steps for the IOC and GAISF?

McConnell said he doesn’t expect big outcomes but hoped the forum would provide structures for further dialogue.

"We want to keep the momentum after this day and that will probably lead to a more comprehensive strategy for the Olympic Movement and the IOC engaging with esports community moving forward, and provide some framework for areas of direct engagement, be it through responses, the Olympic Channel or around some showcasing opportunities," he said.

A new IOC taskforce appears to be on the cards as the Olympic Movement attempts to deepen its relationship with esports and stay relevant to the youth of the world.

"It is a changing world, and in a lot of ways," he said. "We see this with existing sports on the Olympic program… in the way technology is changing, the way competition formats, event production and delivery and presentation are changing and the way that people follow sports, be it through traditional broadcasts, digital platforms and social media.

"We need to continue to engage with young people around the world, part of this is understanding what they do and how they consume sports and entertainment. We need to go to where they are and create connections between them and the Olympic Movement."

McConnell said the IOC and GAISF embracing esports was a significant opportunity. "It’s a huge population of young people, truly international, a young demographic and it makes sense for us to be out there engaging with them to promote the Olympic values, the Olympic Movement."

Forum program highlights include a session in which leading esports and gaming industry executives will share thoughts on the state of their industry and an assessment of collaboration opportunities with the Olympic Movement.

An interview with an esports player and an IOC official is planned.

Roundtable discussions include: a focus on governance, structures and best practices; new technologies in sports and gaming consumption; the challenges facing sports athletes and pro esports players; and an investor perspective.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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