How sports can reach the level of the NFL and NBA

While traditional sports leagues continue to dominate the US market, esports is rapidly gaining momentum. Mario Ho, co-CEO, Ninjas in Pajamas, joined TheStreet to discuss the future of esports and the potential for global growth.

Full video transcript below:

CONWAY GITTENS: So one stage that is big, of course, is the United States. Absolutely, you guys have a bigger presence in South America, Asia and Europe. So what will it take to get a bigger stake in what’s happening in the United States. What will it take?

MARIO HO: Now, the esports or gaming market in the US is huge, especially with how well the traditional sports market has done here in the United States. I mean, you look at the NBA, you look at the NFL, the monetization and the ratings of those biggest teams in the world. So of course we want to enter this market and we already have plans for that.

CONWAY GITTENS: So what does the future of sports look like, not just in the United States, but let’s start globally.

MARIO HO: OK, I think the future of sports, I think esports will strengthen its position because I’m sorry, our generations have recognized the sports of our generation. So for those born after 1985, to all the kids today, I think sports will become the main sports in terms of viewership. You will see that the numbers already prove this, for example. The league finals of China’s CCFPL league, which is one of, if not, I believe, the biggest and most watched mobile esports league in the world. I think it had five times the audience of the NBA Finals.

So that’s what your potential already tells you today. Now, going forward, I think the monetization of sports is going to catch up, it’s going to catch up with the NBA teams, the NFL teams, and so will the ratings that you’re going to start seeing every week. There are home games that fill 10,000 arenas, 20,000 arenas and you’ll have away games that do the same. So the whole sports model will be fully translated into the world of e-sports. Now, I really hope that the Saudi Arabian Sports Olympics will do very, very well. We don’t know the format yet, but we’ll see. I think that will also have a huge impact on where esports lands in the future.