PESHAWAR: The Association of International Press Sports (AIPs) Asia and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) Sunday agreed to work together for the development and promotion of sports journalism and electronic sports across Asia in particular and in the world in general.
In this connection, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed soon. This decision was taken in a Zoom meeting between the office-bearers of AIPs Asia and the senior officials of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF).
The meeting was attended by AIPs Asia President Hee Don Jung, Secretary General Amjad Aziz Malik, Chief Operating Officer of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation Steve Kim, and Head of Partnerships and Growth Janni Jensen. Both parties decided to collaborate in view of the growing popularity of eSports around the world.
The eSports market has boomed in recent years, with more and more viewers tuning in to watch their favorite games being played by some of the best gamers in the world. By 2025, there
are expected to be over 318 million eSports enthusiasts worldwide, a significant increase from the 215.2 million in 2020.
The United States was the leading eSports country worldwide according to the number of active eSports competition players in 2023. The U.S. led the list with more than 3.5 thousand active competition players, followed by China and Brazil with two thousand and 1.36 thousand professional eSports players, respectively.
The most popular eSports include Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite: League of Legends, StarCraft II, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Overwatch, and Hearthstone.
T1, an eSports team based in South Korea, was the most watched eSports organization in 2023. A total of over 143 million hours of T1 Esports content were watched by viewers in 2023. The team competed in various eSports events, most notably League of Legends.
The number of peak viewers in millions comprises League of Legends 2023 World Championship (6.4 million), Free Fire World Series 2021 S
ingapore (5.41 million), League of Legends 2022 World Championship (5.15 million), and Mobile Legends M5 World Championship (5.07 million).
The highest-earning eSports player worldwide is “N0tail” (John Sundtein). The professional gamer has earned over $7 million throughout his career, with his highest payday earned from competing in Dota 2 during ‘The International 2019.’.
Likewise, the top No. 1 gamer is PewDiePie, with over 104 million subscribers, while the highest paid e-sports game is Leading Esports Players Worldwide 2024, by overall earnings, and the leading Esports player worldwide ranked by overall earnings was Johan “NOtail” Sundstein. Originally from Denmark and also known as “N0tail”, Sundstein has so far earned over seven million U.S. dollars throughout his recorded eSports gaming career.
According to the MoU, AIPS Asia will leverage its extensive network to publish advertisements and promotional articles about AESF initiatives and events in its magazine and across digital platforms, aiming t
o increase visibility and support for eSports.
AIPS Asia President Hee Don Jung, Secretary General Amjad Aziz Malik, Chief Operating Officer of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation Steve Kim, and Head of Partnerships and Growth Janni Jensen held a meeting and decided to work together for the promotion of eSports.
AESF will extend an invitation to AIPS Asia to support and participate in the next edition of the ‘Your Home, Your Arena’ CSR Online Competition, utilizing AIPS Asia’s esteemed presence and network to enhance the event’s reach and impact.
By tapping into AIPS Asia’s influential network, this collaboration seeks to promote the growth of eSports not just in Asia but also on a global scale, enhancing the visibility and reach of AESF’s activities and initiatives.
It was also decided together that AESF and AIPS Asia would develop educational programs and workshops aimed at journalists and eSports enthusiasts. These initiatives will focus on the intricacies of eSports, including its culture, industry
dynamics, and the specifics of eSports reporting and journalism.
The two parties would collaborate on promoting ethical standards within eSports journalism, advocating for fair play, integrity, and responsible reporting of eSports events and news. This would include creating guidelines and resources for journalists covering eSports.