Esports and traditional sports have many key differences. One of the biggest relates to how matches and events are broadcast. In a traditional sport – like soccer – each league negotiates the streaming rights with big broadcast companies. These deals are massive and become one of the core income sources for teams in the sport. It’s why sports like soccer are so rich; matches are streamed around the world with tons of huge contracts in place.
With esports, broadcasts are typically shown for free. Nobody has to pay to watch them and there aren’t many exclusive contracts. Certainly, we’ve not seen an esport strike a deal with a traditional broadcaster on TV. Some fans think this is fantastic while others see it as a big limit in esports.
In our view, being able to watch games for free is always a win. If you’re just getting into the esports scene, it helps to know where you can watch your favourite teams or games. Here are the three best ways to do just that.
#1 Stream via betting websites
Plenty of trusted betting websites stream esports all the time. Goldenbet Sportsbook has an entire section of its site dedicated to esports gaming. Here, you can watch all the latest matches whenever they come about. They’re all listed for you in the sportsbook, so you’ll never miss a game ever again.
Advantages of streaming esports via betting websites:
- All the esports are there to see in one place
- Easier to find new esports that you never considered watching before
- Can seamlessly bet on the matches as they happen to increase your fun
- You won’t need to create an account on any streaming platform to watch the matches
Disadvantages of streaming esports via betting websites:
- You will need to create an account to access the streams
- Some bookmakers make you deposit money to watch streams
We think this is a wonderful idea if you’re already a member of a sports betting website. It makes life very easy as everything is there in one place. If you’ve never watched or streamed esports before, finding the matches via streaming platforms can be tricky. This way, it’s all laid out and you click and watch.
#2 Stream via Twitch
Twitch is regarded by many as the number one live-streaming platform. There’s a crazy statistic that states Twitch streams have been watched for 1217 billion minutes in 2023 alone! If people choose to watch live streams, it’s normally on Twitch.
You won’t necessarily need an account to watch esports streams – it depends on the channel you’re watching. If you want to engage with people in the chat, then you will need to make an account and verify your email address. Then, search for whatever esports games you’re into and begin streaming for free.
Advantages of streaming esports via Twitch:
- It’s completely free
- The chat interactions are better than other streaming platforms
- Works really well on mobile devices
- Most esports will stream on this platform
Disadvantages of streaming esports via Twitch:
- You have to watch random ads unless you subscribe for money
- Can be hard to find legitimate broadcast streams for some esports
Overall, if you’re already an avid Twitch user, this is probably the best way to stream esports. You’ll know how to search for things and what channels to click on. Our advice for newbies is to look for the channels with official titles or the most views. These will normally be the ones broadcasting esports matches live. For example, if you want to stream Valorant, search for it and then click on an official Valorant channel.
#3 Stream via YouTube
Instead of using Twitch, you could opt for YouTube. It’s a more convenient option for individuals who don’t have a Twitch account. Most people already have a YouTube account – or at the very least a Google one. It’s so easy to sign up for YouTube and you can watch virtually every esport when it is on.
Advantages of streaming esports via YouTube:
- Easily accessible to everyone
- Completely free to sign up
- Excellent mobile app
- Can pause and rewind streams in real-time
Disadvantages of streaming esports via YouTube
- It offers a worse experience if you want to chat with other viewers
- You still have to deal with ads
- It’s even harder to find the right channels sometimes
YouTube is investing in streaming and it has already tested ways to improve the picture quality, making it exceed Twitch. To be honest, this is a very good option if you’re keen to partake in esports betting. The fact you can rewind and pause esports matches makes it easier to analyse the events and make bold predictions for the next round or game.
Any one of these three platforms will help you stream as many esports matches as you want. The choice is yours – weigh up the pros/cons and decide which one you like the most!
