One of the highlights from last month’s [a]list summit in Seattle was Activision Blizzard senior vice president Mike Sepso discussing the growth and evolution of eSports, which has gone from a small level of competition to a multi-million dollar business enterprise in just a few years’ time.

Credit that to the “millions of passionate fans who really love and engage with this as a content type.” He also credits the “personalities behind the sport,” who help keep fans engaged as they tackle a number of games, including popular favorites like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends.

Sepso talked about the popularity of eSports, and how its reach was actually eclipsing other pro sports, including the NHL and Major League Baseball, and is almost on par with the NBA. Obviously, it still has some ways to go to catch up with the juggernaut that is the NFL, but that’s pretty impressive considering eSports has only been around for a few years.

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There’s still room to grow on the revenue front, as eSports only generated under $4 million for total annual revenue, which is small potatoes compared to other big sports. Still, Sepso noted big opportunities for brands and star players to step up and find support through sponsorship.

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In a panel discussing why eSports is at the nexus of consumer trends, Andy Swanson, vice president of eSports for Twitch, who compared eSports to poker, in that it’s based around a large community. Technology has been able to play a huge part in competitions, especially being able to watch them live.

Dan Ciccone, managing director of rEvXP, also had plenty to add, especially when it came to Pepsi’s recent eSports promotion with the Brisk brand. “I really applaud these brands, because they are working with us to back away from some of those traditional metrics that everyone in this room is held to, and they’re providing somewhat of a creative latitude to approach the space differently than they do traditional marketing.”

However, those approaching eSports should do it the right way, according to Swanson. “What you can’t do is just say, ‘I want to market eSports.’ It’s just too generic.”

The full panel can be found in the video below, and provides a great deal of insight into the success of eSports.