The boss of David Beckham-backed Guild Esports reckons virtual gaming could be bigger than real sport.

Esports is a form of competitive video gaming, where players compete in games such as Fortnite and League Of Legends in front of audiences.

Jasmine Skee, who heads up Guild Esports, the London-listed business, told the Mail: ‘With Gen Z and Gen Alpha, their attention spans are very different.

Appeal: Guild, of which former England captain Beckham owns a 4.7 per cent stake, manages teams that compete in video game tournaments

Appeal: Guild, of which former England captain Beckham owns a 4.7 per cent stake, manages teams that compete in video game tournaments

Appeal: Guild, of which former England captain Beckham owns a 4.7 per cent stake, manages teams that compete in video game tournaments

‘Are they watching 90 minutes of football? Are they watching a five-day Test match? I highly doubt it. And that is the generation that is coming through.’ 

Guild, of which former England captain Beckham owns a 4.7 per cent stake, manages teams that compete in video game tournaments. Last year, the business announced a multi-million-pound sponsorship deal with Sky.

Estimates suggest that the global esports market is worth as much as £2.8billion, with some figures suggesting it could grow as big as £17billion by 2032.

And it is no surprise – the number of global fans hit 532m in 2022, more than rugby and baseball.

Guild’s shares, however, have slumped in recent months.

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This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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