Pulse
ESPORTS PANDASCORE
PandaScore: the anatomy of esports
In a wide-ranging interview with G3, Flavien Guillocheau, CEO of PandaScore, discusses AI, data, latency and integrity in esports. Flavien explains how esports has transitioned from a ‘nice to have’ product into a ‘must have’ and the importance for operators to choose the right games portfolio for their customers.
As traditional sports leagues continue to invest in esports to draw in younger fans, how does the introduction of this new generation of player impact your market approach and the general appeal of the esports sector in more traditional sports betting markets?
Flavien Guillocheau, CEO, PandaScore
Te collaborations between large sports leagues and esports have given mainstream markets the increased access and exposure to a new community of players. It’s a burgeoning opportunity to connect with this younger generation of punter and grow their audience incrementally.
Before, esports was probably seen as a ‘nice to have’ product, but now, it has clearly transitioned into a ‘must have’. The lockdown period undisputedly proved how big of a draw this nascent vertical could be. The incredible level of esports activity we’re now experiencing has proven without doubt that esports is now a betting vertical, making it very difficult to ignore as a vital addition to most operator’s portfolios.
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So, from this point of view, including esports as a new product can only be a positive thing. It’s interesting for us, as a native esports company, to observe the way traditional sports operator’s attitudes have changed as this new generation of player is ushered into the market at an increasing rate.
Before, esports was probably seen as a ‘nice to have’ product, but now, it has clearly transitioned into a ‘must have’. Te lockdown period undisputedly proved how big of a draw this nascent vertical could be. Te incredible level of esports activity we’re now experiencing has proven without doubt that esports is now a betting vertical, making it very difficult to ignore as a vital addition to most operator’s portfolios.
Just like normal sports fans, esports fans love live action, plus they are very used to consuming live match related data. Working out the rules and strategies to different games is in an esports fan’s DNA, demonstrating their openness to more complex styles of betting. Offering quality live betting experiences and micro market
products is key to piquing this interest from esports punters. In terms of how this has affected our approach to the market, it hasn’t really changed anything for us. Tis generation of player has always been our main focus. We’re esports fans ourselves, so being tailored for this market is part of our essence as a company and has shaped our thinking process from the very start.
Esports was once an unfamiliar term in the sports betting industry, but today, many industry commentators believe this sector will soon overtake some of the more traditional sports betting markets. What impact has this rise in popularity had on the barriers to entry?
In my opinion, entering the esports betting market is no more complex or difficult than it would be to enter the traditional sports betting market. Te only thing that has changed over time is the amount of exposure this sector is getting.
Previously, most in the market were not aware of the potential esports had, but now it’s harder to not see its potential with so many success stories in industry. Tis has provided the mainstream market with a better understanding and vision of how it works and in fact, how similar it is to traditional sports book operations.
We work with leading operators such as Betcris and Entain Australia. Tey are a brilliant example of how simple it can be to launch a successful esports product, coming from an originally sportsbook orientated background. Tere is of course still work to do in order to understand certain market specifics, but this won’t take much effort compared to how it used to be.
Tere will always be some key differences to take into account but teaming up with the right partner is the best way to tackle them. Te gap between the two worlds is shrinking every day and we’re excited to see how the relationship between them will continue to merge and evolve going forward.
Games such CS:GO and DOTA2, amongst others, are household names in the gaming world and titles that most would be familiar with. Are there any other titles up and coming that are gaining traction within the community? How can an operator best choose the right game portfolio to offer their customers?
Similar to sportsbook, there is a ‘Big Tree’ in regard to the most popular games. Tey are, as mentioned; DOTA2, CS:GO and League of Legends.
Beyond this, there are the ‘Long Tail’ games – around 20 games outside of the ‘Big Tree’ that make up the rest of the professional esports scene whose popularities differ significantly depending on market geographies. In Asia, games such as PUBG and King of Glory are very popular, with the latter boasting over 100 million daily active players in China. In Europe, however, those games are almost non-existent in terms of betting and viewing activity.
Another game that is really growing in popularity is Rocket League. Tis game is
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