Sports' popularity, whether in real life or online, is only growing. This is specifically true about gaming and video games in general. A mere decade ago, no one could imagine that half of our population would be stuck in their houses, enjoying the latest titles and patiently waiting for the next Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. Over the years, gaming has also become an umbrella term for several unique industries. Here we can mention traditional AAA titles, casual games, and even a fast payout online casino that can bring gamers impressive profit even if they casually sit on their couches. What makes video games and gambling so popular? Is it the same to play basketball and download the latest hot title online?
You will be surprised to learn that basketball and gaming have quite a few things in common. They even share certain roots and origins. First and foremost, games allow people to make money and have fun in the process. The format even doesn't matter. But that's not the only reason. Online games, just like real ones, are also often associated with adrenaline and thrill. People don't simply spend hours playing online roulette for real money to get the jackpot. It is undoubtedly one part of it. Nevertheless, adrenaline, socialization, the sense of community, and excitement are all elements that bind real games to online ones. So this will remain the main topic of our discussion today. We will talk more about basketball, its history, and its growth. Precisely a deep dive into basketball will allow us to settle once and for all how different it is from video games.
Main Definitions
As we have mentioned in our introduction, there are quite a few similarities and differences when comparing and contrasting video games and basketball. Here we can also mention online casinos and gambling in general as they are included in the umbrella term of gaming. So let's start first with the broad definition of sports, including basketball. Many physical activities and games are considered sports. Some examples are running, baseball, and tennis. Sports are any physical competition that trains the mind and body and can be casual or competitive.
Sports provide entertainment for spectators, and there are many different sports: football, basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, auto racing, table tennis, and cricket. Play and sports are almost the same. They are both times when people play for fun, but sports are more focused than play. This, by the way, is one of the first similarities that we can find between gaming and playing basketball. Besides definitions and rules, it will also be clear that people enjoy basketball and gaming because it brings thrill and adrenaline. It allows them to experience a certain level of risk-taking and danger while seeking a source of entertainment.
Main Rules of Basketball
Let's be brief about the origins and the general rules of basketball. This game was initially invented back in the 19th century around the 90s. It was created by an athlete as well as a physical education instructor. He was asked to develop a unique sport or a game that would allow other athletes and professionals to stay in good shape whether the weather was cold or warm. This is how the athlete has pitched the idea of using baskets and bowls rather reminiscent of football. He initially installed 13 rules that allowed players to understand how they should handle the bowl and how to get the highest score. His class then consisted of 18 students, later divided into two teams. As you can see, the origins of this popular sport are rather humble. They did not allow any violence and minimized the injuries of the athletes. Moreover, basketball is undoubtedly much more physical and demanding than traditional gaming.
Definition of Gaming
Many believe that gaming is a plague of the 21st century. At least it started this way, yet this belief is no longer as prominent as it was. Just like anything else in our world, gaming has developed into becoming a relatively prosperous and well-known phenomenon. There is hardly one person in this world that hasn't tried some things that can be put under the umbrella term of playing and gaming. You don't have to download the latest Disney or Marvel game to be considered a gamer. Even casual games that almost anyone has on their can count. There are many reasons that people play. Gaming can provide a variety of benefits: to relax, socialize with friends, relieving stress, intellectual challenge, and even the possibility of hitting it big with a jackpot. Gaming can make a person euphoric or excited, and it's important to know that regardless of the reasons for gaming, it can be dangerous. Gaming is meant to be entertaining, not a way to make money. So people must know how to do it safely and protect themselves from getting hurt while gaming.
Gameplay
The overall gameplay is yet another difference that we can find between gaming and basketball. You undoubtedly know the basic rules of basketball. The ball could be thrown in any direction with one hand or both hands. However, you can only use your hands and not anything else, unlike soccer or American football. Naturally, the 13 original rules later grew and there might be more to name. Nevertheless, the actual gameplay has not changed much. The same cannot be said about video games and gaming. The rules of different titles are entirely different. Even if they are connected with basketball, no game is 100% alike. They all are said in other worlds and even realms. Each story is a unique personification of certain human concepts, desires, fears, and sources of entertainment. In this sense, basketball is somewhat simplified. The popularity of basketball increased over the years, yet the gameplay remained the same.
How Different Are Basketball Demographics
Demographics of basketball is an interesting point of discussion. Our answer will be positive if you're wondering whether it is a male-dominated field. However, surprisingly enough, more than 39% of basketball fans are actually women, while 61% remain men. The age of basketball fans is approximately 34 years old, yet it is getting younger each year. At least 2/3 of the demographics are younger than 30, and most have a college education with a steady household income.
The demographics of gaming are relatively the same. We also witness more millennials and generations coming from big cities. They're not a lot of old-fashioned people who enjoy gaming. In this sense, the demographics of basketball and video games align perfectly. However, the case is slightly different for iGaming and gambling in general. Successful casinos gain more money by advertising their products to those over 25. It has to deal with online casinos that are still considered rather old-fashioned. They draw the attention of older audiences and not generation Z. this brings us to another conclusion. The demographics of sports like basketball and gaming can be different if we continue pinpointing certain areas within these activities.
Profit from NBA and Basketball Teams
The NBA earns a total of nine billion per year. The values of all 30 NBA teams can be found on Forbes, although the NBA is not a public company and does not release its financial reports publicly. We do know that the NBA gets income from ticket sales, merchandising, and TV rights deals. Each team is worth at least one billion, with an average value of two billion - a 15% increase from last season.
Basketball and Profit From TV Shows
Although many people choose to watch TV shows on a DVR or online, live sporting events are still popular. The NBA earns most of its income from TV contracts and ad revenue, which is why people who attend basketball games have to pay extra expenses for tickets, parking, and food. Despite these costs, many people believe that watching the NBA game at home on their TV is worth it. The NFL, unlike the NBA, signs deals with big media companies like Warners Tons TNT and Disney's ESPN, among other national networks. In 2017-2018, ESPN and Tons combined to sign a 24 billion dollar contract, up from their previous deal. The NBA earns about 2.6 billion annually in its nine-year contract with national networks. Players are well-paid thanks to the huge national TV deals, and then even more with the local TV deals for each team. Each year, between 400 and 4000 players join the league. Thanks to the national and local television contracts, the money generated is enough to pay the players' salaries, as well as some extra. In 2017, each team can get between ten million and $149 million per year in local television deals.
Basketball Merchandise
Thanks to the jersey patch program that started in 2016, NBA teams are earning about 9.3 million per year in advertisements on their uniforms. This is a much more significant source of income for the NBA than any of the other sources mentioned and is visible to the public eye. From 2017-2018, the NBA earned an extra 150 million dollars in revenue. The Golden State Warriors receive about 20 million per year from Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten. Some of the advertisers on the basketball court are Walt Disney Company and General Electric. These companies benefit the athletes, as well.
Sponsorships and Tickets
In 2018, the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team opened Fiserv Forum, an arena that was built thanks to the vast increase in sponsorship opportunities created by the NBA's deal with Nike in 2015. Over eight years, the one billion contracts was a 250% increase per year above their previous deal with Adidas and helped the NBA sell more merchandise than before.
The NBA sells tickets for every game. What else does the NBA do with tickets? After merchandise, the NBA earns the second highest income from ticketing at their games. Television deals and licensing are next, according to ESPN. During the 2018-2019 season, between 15,000 and 20,000 people went to home games on average. Tickets and other Basketball Related Income (BRI), such as sales at the concession stand, bring in a large amount of money. In the 2018-19 season, tickets average $74.
Foreign Ads and Revenues
Tencent is a Chinese technology company that generates about half a million in NBA-related revenue each year. Tencent's biggest deal was two billion to become the NBA's exclusive digital partner. Foreign investors are also looking to purchase NBA teams. Last year, Joe Tsai (owner of Alibaba) purchased a 50% stake in the Brooklyn Nets for one billion. Due to the NBA allowing ads on jerseys, the league's income has been rising internationally for a long time. The NBA gaining exposure in foreign countries is a huge deal, and many foreign companies can now market themselves through the league. This decision has opened up the income stream from overseas and will likely increase the bottom line for the NBA for a long time.
Influence of COVID-19 On Basketball and Gaming
The coronavirus will cause the NBA and their affiliated teams to decline in income in 2020 and 2021. The virus has to be played inside a bubble so that it can not be spread but still would impact the revenue for the NBA and its franchises. The TV and ad sales would take a hit, and the game length would be decreased for the 2020 season (only 72 games down from 82 games). If the outbreak doesn't slow down, each NBA team will lose around two million per game in ticket sales alone. No one knows when the league will go back to a regular schedule, but if they did, it is unknown what the impact would be.
Online games, on the other hand, were certainly thriving during the pandemic. More and more real-life sports are switching to online platforms, just like many other businesses are doing. Some live casinos have switched their clients to the online version, and online poker rooms and casinos have seen a considerable rise in visitors since online poker tournaments are more widespread these days. When many people stayed at home, resources that were online felt the impact, and the sites had a higher influx of new customers. Some countries have decided to make online casinos legal (Belarus), while others have opted not to ban internet gambling (Armenia).
More people are downloading new games, and more tournaments are being held online. During Spring 2020, the traffic of online games and even virtual poker rooms increased more than it had in the last three years. The drop will be gradual and will be accepted this year. Nevertheless, people will not go back to their regular routines of gaming.
Basketball and Transition to eSports
The video game market is set to be valued at $200 billion by 2022. Esports is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, as it is becoming increasingly popular. Tennis, golf, football, and basketball are some examples of traditional sports that have been around for a long time. In the past few years, eSports games have gained colossal viewership and won big money awards. Sports using video games are called eSports. Participants contend in competitions on teams or by themselves, in games popular among the eSports audience.
The players are competing in computer-mediated sports rather than traditional sports. The competitors are playing video games against each other in a professional and competitive manner, which is a billion-dollar industry. Some games are so popular that they are considered on a professional level, like traditional sports. Tournaments are held similar to traditional sports games, with players playing against other players in a multiplayer setting. The ranking system shows the rank of the player amongst other players. Some of the most popular eSport games include Fortnite, PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Dota 2 (many more exist).
Online Basketball Leagues and Games
Basketball is an e-sport game that uses real NBA teams and players, simulating a real basketball game. Basketball originally became widely popular because of the Coronavirus epidemic in 2020. It was made by the world's most prominent esports league (NBA) and Take-Two Interactive (game publisher, developer, and seller). In basketball, the player only has to know the rules and how to use the game console; there is no visualization of the basketball court or ball. The NBA 2K sports game is great fun and has the most stellar esports athletes in the world playing in the NBA 2K league.
The sports game sells basketball gear worldwide and is one of the most popular games in history. The league only allows pro and amateur games, and players must be 18 years old or older and own either a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version. This team does not allow players to play on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation, but players who have played for a few teams or by themselves can still apply to join the team. Basketball can be played on a global level, according to experts. ESportsBattle has a website providing quality 24/7 broadcasts and game stats. These can be seen on YouTube in the channels section for viewers.
Dangers of Basketball and Gaming
Basketball causes more than two million injuries per year. This activity puts athletes at the highest risk of injury of all sports. While football and other sports have their share of dangers, many athletes don't tell all of their injuries, so the actual number of injuries could be higher than what is known. Basketball can stress the joints and muscles, leading to injury. Playing basketball can risk hurting players' hands, knees, and ankles. However, other parts of the body can be at risk as well. Players who wear their bodies out can develop overuse injuries when a minor stumble causes a more extensive injury to an ankle or knee already worn down.
Playing when injured can cause further issues. Jumper's knee is when the patellar tendon becomes inflamed and causes constant pain in the lower part of the knee. This injury is common in basketball players and people who have occupations requiring much kneeling or jumping. Some other common injuries from overuse are tennis elbow and hip bursitis. Basketball can cause injury to the shoulder by encouraging excessive overhead throwing. People with jumper's knees have to be careful about their care of themselves, as it indicates that they need to take better care of themselves.
The dangers of many sports like basketball are another reason why many transfer to online activities. Even though online sports are hardly as thrilling as basketball itself, at least it is less dangerous. Indeed, it can still negatively influence your eyes and the overall sight. You might also have issues with real-life conversations and social aspects. Nevertheless, at least your knees and elbows will be fine, and they will thank you for leading an online life.
Final Thoughts
Surprisingly enough, basketball and gaming have many things in common. First and foremost, they attract somewhat similar fans. Basketball has become known because of its thrill and excitement around it. It is a culture just like video games and popular culture. They can attract millions of people and create a sense of community. Basketball is also rather entertaining to watch. It is a constant push and pull of power on the field. The demographics also definitely help to find similarities. Most people who enjoy basketball are around 30 years old, and it is an average age for online players. However, it doesn't mean that these activities don't have differences. The main difference is the presence or the lack of danger. Like any other sport, basketball is extremely dangerous if you're not responsible. On the other hand, online games allow you to have more control over your environment and avoid certain dangers. We can certainly expect basketball and video games to become even more popular in the future. Nevertheless, there might be a chance that basketball will slowly lean towards electronic sports and online tournaments.
