IN AN EFFORT to sustain the growth of the Philippine esports industry, gaming network meta.us encourages more brands to invest in the space and support amateur players through its online platform.

Esports is now the biggest marketing draw in the global entertainment stage, overtaking television last year and already double the value attracted by digital music and film box office combined.

Global brands such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Mercedes-Benz have already entered the fray given that 75% of the market demographic is comprised of people below the age of 35, and about half comprised of ages between 21 to 35.

Beyond multinational companies, there is also money available for team and event sponsorships from regional and local brands who want to get into esports but are challenged as they are not familiar with esports and gaming.

Alan Chou, chief executive and co-founder of meta.us, is trying to bridge that gap, as his company connects brands with esports sponsorship opportunities.

“Brands want to reach the esports demographic but need transparency and confidence in the vendors they select and assurance that they will get an ROI. Our platform meta.us is built to do exactly that,” said Mr. Chou.

With more than a decade in the gaming and esports business — first at Microsoft Xbox and later as the Director of Publishing for Southeast Asia at Blizzard, Mr. Chou has a unique insight into the needs of both players and teams, and of brands.

Over those years, Mr. Chou observed that it is difficult for players, tournament organizers and brands to connect with each other, limiting opportunities for esports talent to play consistently and reach their full potential.

“The discovery and development of talent is an area that is missing in esports and we would like to address that with mass amateur leagues that give a systematic way for players to play, get better, and develop a track record of performance,” said Mr. Chou.

That requires money and ultimately, Mr. Chou said, meta.us wants to help drive the cash flow that would ensure the economic and financial sustainability of esports as an industry.

“Where do we think that money is going to come from? One source is brands or companies sponsoring teams and competitions, but there is also potential in monetizing content,” he said.

The audience for esports is growing. According to Newzoo, a leading provider of games and esports analytics, the projected global viewership for esports this year will be 453.8 million, which is likely to grow about 15% annually.

And that steadily increasing audience is what inspires Mr. Chou and his company to push forward.

“Our ultimate vision is to provide young people who are passionate about esports with an opportunity to live their dream of getting discovered,” he said.

Newzoo estimated that for this year, esports will see a 9.6% increase in revenues of $152 billion.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR