5. Conclusions
In this introduction to the scholarly exchange, the Editorial Team of SMR has responded to two pertinent questions: (a) is eSport a sport; and (b) irrespective of the response to the first question, is eSport relevant for the sport management discipline? As the other contributors to this exchange discuss, the responses to these questions are not straightforward. eSports do satisfy four of the five characteristics of sport (Rodgers, 1977). However, despite arguments to the contrary, the degree to which eSport involves physical activity is contestable. In the end, the demarcation of eSport as a sport is likely to depend on the conceptualization used and the specific context. Regardless of this observation, eSport is becoming increasingly interwoven into the fabric of sport organizations (e.g., sponsorship)in attempts to broaden market appeal. What does matter is that eSport is progressively featured in the sporting landscape and that eSport, and its descendants, will continue to grow for as long as there are developments in gaming technologies. Like studies of the fitness industry, sport for development and peace, active wear purchases, fantasy sports, and event participation eSport presents the Sport Management academy with a series of problems and questions that, while not certainly of a sporting nature, have direct relevance for the management of sport in the future.
