< Previous10 2. Clearly communicate the team names. While this may seem like an obvious and easily achievable solution, the reality in esports tells a different story. If data from game servers is to be monetized, it is of vital importance that the data be used easily and without much additional effort, and that means it must be consistent. While it’s one thing to have the teams register with their names, it requires a bit of extra discipline and effort to actually use the official names as provided. As already mentioned, in a context in which only all-female teams play, Giants Red had been named simply “Giants” because it was more convenient for the operator running the server. On the other hand, this convenience meant that any company working with the live data needed to translate “Giants” to “Giants Red” — but only in this one specific instance. The most common reason for a team to change its name — and thus create issues for anyone using the data — is a change in sponsorship. While regular sports clubs don’t usually put sponsor names in their official names, the lack of screen time for a club jersey in esports makes conventional advertising spots rather unattractive. Instead, teams and players have become accustomed to adding a sponsor to their screen names. When the sponsor changes, computer systems struggle because, as already cited, it looks like a completely different name to the computer. The best solution to this dilemma might be to find a combination of characters that differentiate between a sponsor and a team or player name and on which every team can agree. Establishing such a norm would allow data consumers to define a standard for handling names that will keep the team information consistent but that still allows teams and players to include their sponsors. 10 The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Getting your data in order11 3. Watch out for hidden traps. A part of easing the manual work is the simple visualization of the process Another potential for disaster — in terms of data — can lie in the devices used to make life easier: bots. Admin bots are a great help for getting the right people onto the correct servers, managing a competitive match, and facilitating communications between players and admins. Particularly in online tournaments, bots are a true blessing. However, they have their downsides. Some bots — specifically for CS:GO — use team and player names to communicate states. These states become part of the names that are not only shown on screen but that also make it into the data streams. All of a sudden, the team Giants Red, to reuse our earlier example, becomes team [Not Ready] Giants Red and later on [Ready] Giants Red. As mentioned previously, computers will consider these two names to be different teams, unless there is some preemptive mapping in place. Of course, this may seem like a simple thing to fix — and indeed it is — but as the saying goes, “A single drop of water won’t drown you, but an ocean will.” When a lot of these little changes to names occur — maybe even in combination with one another — preparing for them and changing the software that’s running the data pipelines, aggregating stats, and providing fans with insights takes considerable effort, effort that could otherwise be spent on improving reach or meaning for the data, and effort that could be invested in nothing less than making esports more accessible to a wider audience. The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Getting your data in order12 Monetize your data optimally 4 The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Monetize your data optimally You might be wondering why something that is available for free on YouTube or Twitch can still be worth money to the media and betting industries. There are two reasons for this: First, you cannot directly translate data from video streams into the numbers that many media partners will want to display as statistics or on live tickers. Second, remember that video data is usually delayed by anything from 45 seconds to five minutes. For the betting industry, having access to undelayed data is crucial to minimizing risk. As a result, your event data can be valuable if it is marketed correctly. The value of your data is directly related to the number of spectators: The more people who watch your event, the more interesting it becomes for the media and betting industries. So your planning should start with considering the kind of spectators you want to attract. Who will want to watch the event? Are you targeting regional or global viewers? When will your viewership be able to watch? This is important because your potential spectators go to school or have jobs. They might also be living in different time zones. You probably won’t want to compete with a large established event, like The International in Dota2, so choosing an empty time slot on the calendar is important. Announce your tournament as soon as possible. Key information, such as when and where the event takes place, which teams are participating, and what a rough timeline looks like, are crucial for both your viewers and partners. For the viewers, especially the older ones, it might mean keeping an evening free from social obligations. Betting and media partners will need to allocate resources like traders and editors. Without sufficient lead time, some bookmakers may not be able to cover your tournament at all! Once the key data of your event are known, you need to decide which kind of partnerships and contracts you want to make. These can be exclusive or nonexclusive. 13 The parties agree on a certain minimum amount that the provider will receive per match. If the revenue exceeds this guarantee, the revenue share model takes effect. If you want a guaranteed fixed sum for your data, you will typically enter into an exclusive contract with a marketer. Since most models depend on the revenue generated by the data marketer, it is important to be on the lookout not just for the best terms but for the greatest distribution power. For instance, Bayes Esports integrates with more than 200 customers who can obtain data through the platform. As already mentioned, delaying your public- facing data is standard practice, and your data partners will expect it. Keep in mind that a leak of real-time data might make your entire tournament worthless. Data security is paramount. Consider the many possibilities for leaks: server access to the match, broadcasting partners (who use the data beyond their contractual rights), or tournament staff. Esports arena personnel who can access the undelayed video of the event and monetize it can also be a danger. To prevent this, reduce server access rights to those who really need them, and take technical precautions like firewalls. Make sure your contracts with all suppliers and broadcasting partners are airtight and include audit rights and contract penalties. In this way, you can make sure that your data will remain exclusive and be optimally monetized. The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Monetize your data optimally IN GENERAL, THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF PAYMENT MODELS: Revenue share: The marketer shares a certain percentage of the revenue with the provider, usually from around 25% to 50%. Fixed price: The marketer pays a fixed price for the tournament or per match. Revenue share with minimum guarantee: This is a mix of the two. 14 Op-Ed Oddin: Why esports bet- tors need engagement 5 The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Why esports bettors need engagement Mainly composed of millennials and Gen- Zers, esports bettors behave differently than standard sports bettors. Adapting to the new generations’ needs is something even old brands have been doing successfully for years. For example, Nike understood the importance of personalization and gave people the opportunity to build their own sneakers with limitless options. As the company listens to younger generations, it has gathered more than 120 million followers on Instagram. greater focus on engagement. When you analyze young people’s behavior and how they’re entertained, you notice that freedom underlies every particular aspect. They’re no longer turning on the TV and watching what is on the mainstream channels; they click on Netflix and choose for themselves. They do not listen to the radio; they choose among endless possibilities on Spotify or in their podcast apps. Many even prefer watching an esports tournament on Twitch at home rather than going to a football stadium to support their local team. All these entertainment companies have a clear vision: giving customers the freedom to choose. However, betting, as part of the entertainment industry, is lagging behind. New generations want to have a choice in everything they do, and they want to be heard all the time. And that’s the only way to engage them. Bookmakers have been focusing for decades on older generations, not following the new trends and consequently missing out on the opportunity to bring new generations onboard. In the betting industry, we have seen over the last few years how bookmakers are slowly integrating esports into their main offering. However, at Oddin, we have noticed this is not being done the right way. The industry lacks a Marek Suchar Head of Partnerships Oddin.gg15 More than 80% of esports betting volume happens in-game, or while the game is being played. Esports bettors are often watching a live Twitch stream and feeling at some point that they want to be part of it. They want to express their opinion about what will happen in the game by placing a wager. That adds an extra layer of excitement and encourages them to engage more with the game. However, the industry lacks this new approach and offers esports bettors very limited options on which to bet. Most of the bookmakers don’t have access to an official data stream, and that means the lines are available only from time to time in order to minimize risks. Moreover, without the right set of technologies and expertise to calculate live odds in esports games, they are offering very few betting opportunities. Having been used to other entertainment products that give them the chance to do what they want every time they want to do it, millennials and Gen-Z users no longer tolerate this user experience. They like to use products that are a reflection of their personality; otherwise, they lose interest very quickly. Oddin has built an esports odds feed that has a clear focus on engagement, giving esports bettors exactly what they are looking to bet on. First, we support our feed with a live stream, so bettors can watch every game simultaneously. We offer industry-leading availability in the range of more than 80%, so the bettor who is watching a live stream is presented with the opportunity to place bets throughout the game almost all the time. Esports bettors need engagement Esports bettors behave differently than standard sports bettor The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Why esports bettors need engagement16 The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Why esports bettors need engagement But it’s not just that — we offer up to 16 different groups of live betting opportunities, in which the bettor doesn’t just bet on who is going to win but also on the length of the game, the number of kills, and many other opportunities. This is especially useful in boosting volume when there are one-sided games from the very beginning. But how can we do what other providers just can’t? It all comes to data, technology, and expertise. Thanks to partners like Bayes, we have access to official data from the esports games and their organizers, data that is undelayed and highly granular. This enables us to calculate precise odds without any delay, thus avoiding losses generated by delayed odds, which is quite common in this industry. Starting from data, our lines are built by a combination of esports-centric infrastructure, an understanding of the esports ecosystem, and our team’s expertise, which comes from more than 30 years in the betting industry, the last four exclusively in esports betting. We believe esports betting will become one of the cornerstones for all bookmakers, but only if you know how to engage them. The esports industry is still young, with many changes happening every year. A game that was popular last year may no longer be as popular next year. New games will come and go, and the industry will have to be flexible and ready to adapt to demand. That’s another reason esports betting needs a special approach: Bookmakers can’t take it on as simply another sport. Given the nature of the games, it is possible to offer more than 20,000 live games per year, a number that will keep increasing as the industry evolves. Members of the younger generations will come if they feel constantly engaged and if they are given the freedom of choice. Now it’s time for bookmakers to decide if they will ignore the trend or if they want to embrace the path of engagement.17 Interview WIN: “Keep your word” 6 I am the founder and CEO of WIN, a company that owns and operates several esports products. These include WINNERS League, a premier Counter-Strike: Global Offensive esports competition; WIN.gg, a leading esports news and analysis platform; and Winners.net, an all-inclusive place in which to learn about the best bookmakers featuring esports markets. Before starting WIN, I led the Americas offices for BetConstruct. After a successful career developing new products and helping my clients in creating prosperous gaming businesses, I decided to pursue my dream of building a start-up aimed at better serving the gaming community. Could you start by introducing yourself, Serge? The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Interview WIN Serge Vardanyan Founder and CEO WIN 1718 Our tier structure really sets us apart. It allows us to capture all the esports demographics, from casual gamers to the top teams in the world. Below is the visualization of how WINNERS League operates. Those casual players who show their talent in the WINNERS League FPL circuit get a chance to advance to the Main division, and the winner of the Main division can progress to the Invite division and compete against the top teams in the world. The skill level in the Invite division is diversified as well. Some teams that previously had the opportunity only to compete in Tier 2 events are getting a chance to show their skills against top teams in the world. The top global teams see their participation as an investment in the community and in the future of Counter- Strike of North America. There are so many tournaments out there. esports? What is particularly innovative about your company? The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Interview WIN What was the idea behind the creation of the WINNERS League? The idea was to support amateur and semi-professional esports communities by creating opportunities to compete against the top pro teams in the world. WINNERS League is a place where the best pro players and teams meet the best up-and-coming talent and rising stars. It’s similar to what FaceIT’s FPL circuit does for players. That synergy is likely why WINNERS League was selected as a regional partner for FaceIT for FPL’s regional qualifier circuit19 What more needs to be done to support the growth of esports? Stability is important. That stability will come in part through the passage of time, as people continue to see and understand the viability of esports. It’s also important that the industry be led by people and companies who truly understand it and have the industry’s best interest in mind. We hope to take such a position, as we are natives of the esports space, and we want the industry as a whole to grow and succeed and for our success to be a part of that overall growth. The Bayes esports data report 2020 I Interview WIN Will there ever be another game to join the ranks of CS:GO, Dota 2, and League? Developers are always looking to create the next big esports game, because they all see the same potential that we do in esports, as it continues to grow and develop. A great example of that growth today is Valorant. It’s a tactical shooter similar to CS:GO, and it was developed by Riot Games, which also created League of Legends. Riot is a company that knows and understands competitive gaming, and it has put that understanding to great use in creating Valorant. As we strive to keep ourselves at the cutting edge of our industry, we’ve already begun working with and around Valorant, and we plan to further integrate the game into our products in the futureNext >