Sports and E-Sports: How To Close the Diversity Gap

At $200 billion in global revenue, video gaming is now a bigger business than music, video streaming and movies combined.

One of the fastest growing sectors in this field is esports, which captures huge audiences worldwide and is enormously popular at every level of society – just like traditional sports.

In both worlds there is a surprising lack of diversity when it comes to who’s running the show.

This DLD Sync conversation took a close look at today’s reality in the world of sports und esports. Neda Tabatabaie, Vice President Business Analytics & Technology for the U.S. National Hockey League team San Jose Sharks, and Alexander T. Müller, Co-Founder & CEO of SK Gaming, Germany’s foremost esports organization, shared insights from their fields.

Do these industries – which play an important role in society and business – have a blind spot when it comes to openness, inclusivity, and diversity? And if so: How can this be changed?

Where do they face similar issues, and where do they differ, when it comes to closing the diversity gap? Which initiatives and role models are fostering change? And how are they perceived within, and outside, their respective communities?