The idea of watching other people play computer games may seem like an alien form of entertainment to TV traditionalists, but eSports is on the verge of becoming a billion-dollar industry with the kinds of audiences most broadcasters only dream of.

Through streaming platforms like Twitch (acquired by Amazon two years ago for US$970m), hundreds of millions of viewers are tuning in and their demographic is precisely that which is said to be straying from television.

So it’s hardly surprising that some of established media’s biggest hitters have been getting into the space over the past 12 months. In the US, Turner and ESPN have both made major plays, while European broadcast group MTG last year paid €78m (US$86m) for a majority stake in Turtle Entertainment, owner of the world’s largest eSports company, ESL. Sky and ITV have made their own investments, while others such as Lionsgate and Endemol Shine have advanced content strategies.

For these companies and others, competitive gaming is much the same as any other spectator sport or reality TV show and ‘eSports’ is a misnomer too crude to denote the true scale of the opportunity.

The C21Pro 2016 eSports Report shines a spotlight on those shaping this fascinating market, profiling leading players over 21 chapters that will publish here over the coming weeks.