When viewers tune into a broadcast or enter a packed arena to watch an esports championship final, attention is focused on professional players and brilliant moments. However, long before the first match appears on screen, a real process has already begun, one that lasts for months.
The electronic sports market has ceased to be a niche for enthusiasts and has transformed into a global industry generating billions of dollars. But who are the people who take an esports championship from concept to reality?
Hosting a major tournament requires a production chain equivalent to, and sometimes surpassing, traditional entertainment and arena sports. Unlike football, where broadcasting is limited to following the ball, esports production must integrate the game signal in real time, API data, multiple viewpoints (Observers), visual effects, and commentator narration.
For the market to function, various fields must work in perfect harmony behind the scenes:
To understand how this machine works in practice, and what real difficulties arise when organizing such a large-scale event in Brazil, a conversation was held with Thiago 'Kaiser' Bueno, founder and CSO of EngageXP, a partner in game conversion in Latin America. With over 20 years of experience in the gaming market, he has accumulated knowledge in strategy, products, communities, esports, and monetization models. The creator of the Engage-to-Convert method, his career includes over 200 projects developed in the sector and more than 50 million Brazilian reais in gross revenue.
Thiago 'Kaiser' Bueno explained that a championship begins with defining the business objective. Before creating a calendar, it is crucial to understand who the show is for, what platform, device, and viewing time will be used. This happens long before the competitive format is formed or the people in front of the cameras are chosen. Next comes the budgeting stage: how much does it cost and how are expenses covered, whether through distribution rights, advertising inventory, sponsorship, or registration fees. The budget sheet is a key step. Brands require detailed metric reports, while publishers have strict rules for official and community tournaments. Production translates these conditions into an execution plan, where everyone knows who makes decisions, who approves, and what evidence confirms each delivery.
Thiago 'Kaiser' Bueno noted that the biggest invisible problem is decision latency. During a live broadcast, the team coordinates the game, signal, match observation, audio, graphics, score, communication, sponsor activations, rights, and data. An isolated failure can usually be fixed; the risk increases when no one knows who can pause, replace a source, adjust the schedule, or activate a backup plan. Therefore, rehearsals, backups, and team structure are as important as equipment. Viewers must feel continuity while problems are being solved backstage.
Thiago 'Kaiser' Bueno stated that Brazil already demonstrates a level of production comparable to the best in the world in terms of technical talent, creativity, and community understanding. However, maturity still wavers in terms of reproducibility: predictable calendars, contracts, data integration, rights, measurement, monetization, and continuity between seasons. More mature international operations turn a championship into a regular product. In Brazil, excellent projects are still observed, supported by the outstanding efforts of specific specialists. The next leap will come through process documentation, knowledge retention, and, most importantly, treating it as a real business.
Regarding technical skills, he highlighted four pillars: Budget, Team, and Schedule Management; Storytelling and Content Creation; Data Measurement and Analysis; and Marketing/Commerce. A manager does not need to manage every device, but they must understand dependencies and ask the right questions. As for behavioral skills, these include communication under pressure, prioritization, negotiation, and calmness for decision-making with incomplete information. The most underestimated skill is translation: the ability to explain the same problem in the language of the brand, publisher, technical team, and player. This translation reduces friction and speeds up decision-making.
Thanks to recent technological advancements, the trend for the coming years is a reduction in production costs, which will allow high-quality tournaments to be held without exclusive dependence on direct publisher funding.
Thiago 'Kaiser' Bueno added that combined with a good broadcasting channel, an engaged community, and sound business plans, esports has every chance to develop and achieve what it could never fully: sustainability.
Esports proves that it is not just 'computer games,' but one of the most innovative pillars of the modern entertainment industry. And at the center of this revolution are experienced professionals working behind the scenes to ensure the spectacle never stops.
Kaiser's advice to those wanting to enter this field: 'The secret to any line of communication, and for those who want to work with games, is to learn to be more interesting than interested. Learn to connect creativity, operations, and business. It is this combination that turns an audience into long-term value.'
Many viewers wonder about the origin of players who stand out in major competitions like CBLOL or VCT. Just as it happens in football, the competitive universe of electronic games has a grassroots category dedicated to developing new talent.
These events, both amateur and semi-professional, constitute the first point of contact for various players with a structured competitive environment. It is in this context that they gain experience in playing collectively, managing competition pressure, respecting schedules, collaborating with coaches, and understanding organizational dynamics.
Phelipe Cerezzo, founder of Liga GG, which organizes amateur and semi-professional championships for League of Legends and VALORANT, explained that the lack of such a space motivated the creation of the initiative in 2018. He stated: 'We realized there were thousands of talented players, but few paths for them to be seen. We decided to create this bridge between the dream and professionalism.'
Grassroots tournaments serve as the gateway to the esports competitive scene, allowing newcomers to participate in organized championships, gain experience, and attract the attention of larger teams. In these environments, competitors learn to handle the pressure of live broadcasts, maintain a training routine, work in a team, and improve skills that go beyond mere game mechanics.
For Cerezzo, this process is fundamental for the formation of any athlete. He compared it to football, saying: 'The base is where it all begins. Just as in football there are development categories, in esports it is the same. No athlete arrives prepared at the highest level without competing before. It is in the base that the player learns discipline, communication, teamwork, emotional control, and builds competitive experience.'
The esports ecosystem involves much more than just players. Professionals such as commentators, analysts, broadcasters, League Ops (responsible for tournament operation), designers, video editors, observers, and social media managers also use grassroots tournaments to develop their skills and build their portfolios.
Cerezzo pointed out that Liga GG has seen commentators, analysts, League Ops, tournament administrators, designers, broadcast producers, social media managers, photographers, video editors, and content creators start their journeys. He concluded that 'The base trains professionals for the entire ecosystem, not just athletes.'
For many competitors, grassroots tournaments represent the first chance to participate in a structured environment, enabling teams to identify talents that might otherwise go unnoticed in ranked matches. This model has been crucial for the growth of the Brazilian competitive scene. According to Phelipe Cerezzo, over 120 players who went through Liga GG reached the professional level, confirming the importance of these competitions in developing new talent.
Although not all participants reach the professional level, the experience gained in these championships drives player evolution and expands their career options in esports.
Grassroots tournaments go beyond sports rivalry, as they foster community building. They bring together not only players but also people interested in esports, strengthening a network of mutual collaboration. For Cerezzo, this sense of belonging indicates that the project has achieved its purpose.
He observed that Liga GG transcended the function of a mere championship when participants remained involved even after being eliminated, staying in the Discord, watching broadcasts, and interacting with other teams. It was at that moment that they realized they were building a community.
In summary, although the focus is often on major championships, it is in grassroots tournaments that the future of esports truly takes shape. It is there that players and professionals have the first space to develop skills, gain experience, and find opportunities for advancement in this market. The CEO of Liga GG emphasized that the beginning is the most vital step, because 'Every professional started as a beginner. The important thing is to take the first step and seize every opportunity to evolve.' Investing in the base strengthens the entire structure of the Brazilian esports market, forming professionals, uniting communities, and consolidating the competitive scene.
Electronic sports have established themselves as a robust professional market, characterized by audience, investment, and infrastructure. However, the operational mode of eSports presents significant distinctions compared to conventional sports, in addition to having its own specific characteristics. It is important to note that not every video game competition is automatically classified as an eSport.
In simple terms, eSports consist of video game competitions that follow well-defined rules, have an official format, and allow performance measurement through metrics such as scores, rankings, and match results. Just like traditional sports, electronic sports encompass various categories, which are macroscopically defined by the genres of the games. Currently, Strategy Games (MOBA), First Person Shooter Games (FPS), Fighting Games, Sports Games, and Battle Royale Games stand out.
Additionally, games are classified by themselves, citing examples such as League of Legends, Free Fire, and Street Fighter. For an electronic game competition to be considered an eSport, it is essential that there is a professional structure focused on the competitive aspect, ensuring a fair environment and competitive integrity. Other crucial elements include the popularity of the game, an established player base, and community engagement.
To understand the mechanics of an eSports championship, one must analyze the 'competitive logistics,' as this determines how championships, leagues, and other aspects of the scene are organized. There are two main methodologies: open circuits and franchised leagues.
In open circuits, the organization is delegated to independent operators from the game publisher. A common example is CS2, where groups such as ESL, Intel, and BLAST operate with support from Valve, the game distributor. On the other hand, franchised leagues are managed and centralized by the publisher itself. This is the model adopted by Riot, whose official tournaments are organized by the company, although they receive some assistance from partner organizations, mainly at regional levels.
These organizational formats also influence revenue distribution, determining who holds the broadcasting rights and receives sponsorships, whether endemic or non-endemic, in addition to being responsible for hiring talent and paying salaries.
eSports championships can be categorized into three levels: professional, semi-professional, and community. Professional competitions are those conducted directly by the publisher or licensed partners. Semi-professional tournaments serve as a transition to the professional level, being held by publishers themselves or by independent leagues or partner organizations. Community championships are autonomously organized by fans and players, although publishers, including Riot, occasionally support such events.
Despite variations between games, the architecture of tournaments and leagues tends to be standardized, typically divided into three stages: qualifiers, group stage, and playoffs. Additionally, there is segmentation by countries, regions, and world championships.
Qualifiers constitute the initial and elimination stages, open to any team or invited professional teams, depending on the tournament. The format can vary between single-elimination, double-elimination with re-entry tables, or group system. The Group Stage follows the qualifiers and often uses formats known as Round Robin, Swiss System, or GSL Format, with the dispute usually based on points accumulation. Finally, the Playoffs represent the final stage, usually in single or double format. A loss implies elimination or participation in the re-entry, while a victory in the final secures substantial prize money and/or a spot in a larger event.
National competitions elevate the most prominent teams to regional tournaments, which in turn grant access to the world championship. Some leagues do not have a specific national championship, leaving this responsibility to semi-professional tournaments, and each event occurs once or twice a year.
Electronic sports show notable figures. In audience, eSports reached 640.8 million viewers in 2025, according to Stalista data, representing an increase of approximately 47% compared to 2020. Regarding market value, estimates range between US$2.6 billion and US$5.34 billion, according to different analysts. Despite discrepancies, most agree that the market is in continuous expansion, potentially reaching US$12 billion by 2031, according to the Grand View Research group.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the main sources of revenue come from sponsorship and broadcasting rights. Media, advertising, and other sources account for 60.1%, while fees charged by the publisher and in-game sales correspond to 22%. Sponsorship contributes 39.9% of total revenue.
Unlike traditional sports, eSports have an owning entity: the publisher. This gives the publisher a more decisive role than sports federations, as it possesses the ability to modify game rules through updates, establish the official calendar, license tournaments, and control the ecosystem's brand.
This power is entirely linked to the company's vision and plans. It can drastically transform the scene by adjusting game balance, changing, adding, or removing maps and game modes. Furthermore, in fully online games, such as League of Legends and Dota 2, the publisher has the power to ban players or terminate the entire competitive scene by discontinuing the service. Historically, this autonomy is the main cause of conflict between eSports and traditional sports. However, there are companies, such as Valve, that exercise less invasive influence, limiting themselves to the highest levels of championships, contrasting with Riot's approach, which centralizes almost the entire competitive scene of its titles.
