Sponsored: League of Legends: Madison Square Garden Proves to be a hit

Towards the end of August those lucky enough to have tickets for the special e-sporting event held inside the walls of Manhattan’s fantastic Madison Square Garden were treated to some awesome gaming action. The special two-day event took place in front of a sold out stadium filled with gaming fans in what has been touted as another fine example of how popular e-sports is now becoming as a spectator sport.

It was an incredible event that dew thunderous cheers and a great atmosphere; onlookers could even be forgiven for thinking that the huge crowd had turned up for a New York Knicks basketball game. 11,000 gaming fans showed up to watch the special ‘League of Legends’ regional championship match with each competitor vying for a chance to win the opportunity to represent North America in the ‘League of Legends’ world championship event that is set to take place this later this year in multiple cities and countries across Europe and will be shown on the BBC.

The event played up to all the excitement that was promised beforehand and included live commentators, flashing lights and fog machines to help create the indescribable atmosphere. Fans and avid gamers all around cheered on their icons as they consumed the impressive cosplay. In the end it was winning team Counter Logic Gaming that managed to triumph in the event even though it they were the underdogs.

The ‘League of Legends’ regional’s provided another strong indication as to how massive e-sports has become and the pastime is now gaining fast recognition. Many experts and commentators are now certain that e-sports will soon be considered a true spectator sport which will no doubt attract more lucrative advertising deals as well as inspiring the next generation of players. As the BBC reported earlier this month, a bidding war has broken out surrounding the purchase of one of the UK’s Dignitas teams and the final sale price is expected to be in the region of $500,000.

The live gaming phenomenon is also making other game providers stand up and take notice. From bingo sites to casino operators in the iGaming industry, it won’t be long before we see more of our favourite social pastimes shown on the big screen.