Apart from playing, another source of entertainment when it comes to the increasingly popular eSports can be watching the gaming streaming services where you can admire the skills of some of the best gamers in the world. After Twitch, the new stream platform Trovo, which has its fans in almost all parts of the world, experiences a big expansion, helping the growth of the eSports industry even in less developed countries.
The development and popularization of video games have experienced great expansion around the world in recent years. Video games seem to have become extremely popular with people of different generations and one proof of that is the growing number of users of streaming platforms such as, say, the good old Twitch but also of the increasingly popular Trovo.
The idea behind these services is to gather gaming fans, who like to watch other players play some of the most famous video game titles but also those who regularly publish their videos and make money from it depending on the viewership, in one place. Over time, such platforms have grown to the point that in a way they have become kinds of social networks.
Trovo, Unlike Twitch, Has a Good Local Approach
Speaking of live streaming platforms for video games, we were interested in how different Trovo actually is from the undisputed Twitch and what specifically does it bring as a benefit to users? At first glance, the service itself is almost indistinguishable. However, Trovo pays more attention to the gamification of the experience, so that users can interact directly with the platform and streamers in several ways. Another very important difference is that Trovo (at least for now) focuses exclusively on video games, while Twitch is actively trying to expand the types of content that are available.
Speaking of the potential of Trovo when it comes to the number of views, it is important here to distinguish between the potential of Trovo globally and the potential of Trovo in local and regional markets. When it comes to the global race, it is certain that Twitch has a huge advantage that will not be easy to surpass, but the potential of Trovo is precisely in the excellent approach at the local level. Their approach is currently distinctly bottom-up. Twitch, for example, has never shown the slightest interest in the regional markets of underdeveloped or semi-developed countries and was unwilling to invest literally a single euro in developing its potential in them.
What many advised Twitch a few years ago is exactly what Trovo did – it created a great bonus scheme for streamers through which everyone, from the biggest to the smallest, pays to come to them without forcing complete exclusivity. This led to an inactive audience from YouTube slowly getting to know Trovo and starting to come to it. We believe that it is this approach that will lead to Trovo consolidating itself as the No. 1 platform in markets that Twitch considers to be out of its interest sphere, which will one day undoubtedly have a large audience.
The voices of the owners and CEOs of many market-wise smaller eSports companies are heard saying that the communication and understanding of the people behind Trovo are great in terms of approach to business, even far better than Twitch.
Trovo Saw What Twitch Refused to See
That streaming or broadcast of video games over the Internet has a bright future is shown by the fact that more and more young gamers want to share their experience with others, so it is natural that more and more of them will want to stream while they play. This is exactly what can be seen on Trovo, which is full of ‘small fish in a big pond’, i.e. streamers with only a few dozen of viewers. We believe that this trend will continue, as well as that quality will emerge from quantity, meaning that the more people stream, the easier it will be for the most talented ones to stand out.
What is certain, at least for now, is that the mentioned platforms will continue to record increasing growth. They are very closely connected, first of all, with gaming in general, and then with eSports, so much so that it is practically impossible to separate their development. In any case, this is great news for all creators because it means that the struggle over content will become greater and their value will increase and the situation will improve.
Does Trovo Have Marketing Potential?
We also covered the topic of the mentioned streaming service through the prism of marketing and advertising potentials. Given that the gaming industry is developing at a high speed, we will talk about exactly what marketing potentials live stream platforms can bring to brands and other advertisers in this case.
If we look at the global market, streaming content is not just a potential, but a mature industry in which brands successfully ‘swim’. An interesting example is fast-food delivery companies or, say, the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant chain, which sponsors gamers, organizes tournaments, and co-creates with streamers – integration is very natural. Beyond content sponsorship, affiliate programs are a common practice of brands that produce computer equipment, for example. All this, in our opinion, leads to the fact that even small authors who deal with a niche can bring value to brands.
Problems in Markets of Less Developed Countries
Now, if we talk about the markets of less developed countries, there are a lot of problems. There are not many streamers, let alone those with which can be collaborated in the long run and are brand-friendly. Brands are also repelled by the fact that content is elusive and difficult to control. Agencies are not sure how to organize collaborations between brands and creators in a way to makes sense for both parties. It seems that everything is still in its infancy, but there are some encouraging phenomena – brands that sponsor podcasts, eSports companies that do a fantastic job locally to educate the market about gaming and announce competitions for YouTuber associates, bookmakers extending eSports offer in their sportsbooks (such as those at TopCasinoExpert.com), and cable programs that have started streaming even on traditional channels. All this slowly brings an understanding of the format and the possibilities it provides.
Now, whether the brands that are present in the above-mentioned markets could turn more towards the gaming industry in the coming period is the question because this is primarily a complex and broad area since the video game industry is not just one thing. In that case, we can talk about several areas, and one of them is the video game production industry but also the so-called casual gaming – more precisely playing games on mobile devices. There are other segments: we can talk about hardcore gaming, competitive gaming (eSports). We can talk about streamers that stream a particular game or genre, and then about “variety” streamers that are more often focused on fun and community building than on just playing games. We are aware that this sounds like splitting ends, but all these niches are very different.
Brands must find their place in this system. For example, it will be more natural for companies that produce snacks to bond with casual gaming, cooperative gaming, and entertainment; and energy drinks will probably want a permanent eSports initiative. Still, what prevents brands from getting closer to the mentioned industry? It all comes down to three reasons: it is complicated, the results are unclear, and it is new. Brands, and often agencies, do not know from which angle to start this whole topic. They are unsure of what KPIs to set up, how to measure the success of their initiatives, how to create value with authors/streamers. Fortunately, some initiatives are still happening, both on global plans and local.
Video Games Streaming Predictions
At the very end, we will look more at the predictions about video game streaming. In this segment, growth is predicted, and with all the challenges we mentioned, it is difficult to ignore such a large industry as gaming and even streaming of gaming content. We think we would have a much better picture today if the corona had not happened. Many initiatives were suspended when the pandemic started, many budgets were redirected to more traditional lines. But, on the other hand, this period served us to be convinced of the power and attractiveness of streaming content and of playing video games. With such wisdom and new enthusiasm, this year some brands will be collaborating with streamers for the first time.
We hope that next year we will have big gaming events like Gamescon again, as well as that some more educational activities will be realized. We know, the whole thing will move forward slowly and some brands, early adopters by nature, will jump on that train and might even push it forward. Nevertheless, some will wait a little longer, until clear models of cooperation and sponsorship are developed, and that is completely okay.
