When it comes to starting an esports program, determining what the returns on investment (ROI) are can often prove challenging for educational institutions. From an economics standpoint, ROI is a metric traditionally used to measure the efficiency and profitability of an investment. For educational institutions with esports programs in place (or those that are evaluating whether to make the investment), however, ROI extends well beyond just dollars and cents. There are a variety of other factors that bear consideration.
How to Show ROI and Effectiveness of Esports
The past decade has seen esports become one of the predominant forms of entertainment and an integral part of the cultural zeitgeist. Although the immense popularity of professional esports has attracted an influx of funding for esports — including via marketing dollars from corporate and private parties — those anticipating their educational institution’s esports programs to achieve similar levels of financial success should temper their expectations.
While there are a variety of direct and indirect revenue sources available for your esports program (such as merch sales, livestream ad reads, donations/sponsorships from local businesses and alumni, etc.), most scholastic and collegiate esports programs will simply never become massively profitable. It would be unrealistic to expect significant funds to come knocking unless your esports program can achieve consistent competitive success. This is especially true for educational institutions that are just getting their esports program off the ground. Instead of focusing solely on profitability, consider these additional ROIs:
Student Success
Like student athletes participating in traditional athletics programs, student players taking part in esports programs can benefit significantly. They can develop a variety of important psychosocial skills that contribute to their academic and overall success. These include communications, active listening, critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, coordination, delegation, multitasking, social perceptiveness, determination, and perseverance skills.
Student Recruitment & Retention
Generally speaking, students who are interested in gaming tend to also be interested in computer science or other STEM/STEAM fields. Having an esports program in place could be the deciding factor that leads to them choosing your educational institution over another of similar academic rating.
The social engagement and sense of belonging that comes with being a part of an esports program are also helpful factors in retaining students already attending your educational institution. Engaged students are much more inclined to spend the entirety of their academic career at your school rather than seeking out other prospects thanks to their positive experiences.
Remember also that these students will become alumni one day. Having enjoyed their time at your educational institution, they will be more likely to donate in the future and potentially lead to legacy admissions.
Rated E for Everyone
In addition to helping student players develop important life skills, esports are also a great way to promote inclusivity and interactions amongst students across different social groups throughout your educational institution. These include, but not limited to, students that are otherwise disinterested in traditional sports, unengaged with other scholastic/extracurricular activities, and those that have generally felt excluded from other social groups. This helps to foster school spirit, engagement, and a sense of belonging in students that may have felt ostracized or didn’t necessarily care before. Esports also incentivize them to actively participate socially and academically. These students are also more likely to become active alumni after graduating.
Conclusion
When you build up your esports program, there are many ways to measure effectiveness and success. The goals of your school are part of this measurement, and soon you’ll find many ways that esports have proven beneficial to students and institutions alike.
As you build up your program, remember that Adorama Business Solutions is a go-to partner for finding the gear and resources you need to start and scale your esports club. Reach out to us if you have any questions.
