Bloomberg: “Competitive videogames may have moved closer to becoming an official Olympics sport after the International Olympic Committee announced plans to hold a virtual esports event ahead of the Tokyo Games.”

“The Olympic Virtual Series will run from May 13 to June 23 and include events featuring baseball and racing videogames, according to a statementThursday. This will be the first licensed Olympic esports event, though not part of the Games itself.”

“Esports organizers have long called for the growing activity to be added to the Olympics. Even before the pandemic boosted the profile of videogames worldwide, IOC President Thomas Bach said esports could one day be considered for inclusion in the Olympics. Those aspirations got a boost when the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, decided to name esports as a full medal event. Revenue from the global esports market is forecast to top $1 billion this year, up almost 15% from 2020, according to data from market researcher Newzoo.”