Market research firm IHS says electronic sports almost doubled its spectating time from the year before, and by 2018 it will almost triple again to 6.6 billion hours.
If you lived to age 80, it would take more than 3,400 lifetimes to see 2.4 billion hours.
IHS reports that a huge part of the surge in viewership comes from online services like Twitch that allow gamers to watch other players destroy the competition. In fact, in 2013 more people streamed e-sports online than television, the research firm reports.
The recent extreme interest in e-sports has allowed some pro gamers to rake in some major Mario coin. As for the whole industry, IHS projects to rake in as much as $300 million per year after 2018.
(Via Washington Post)