Global Esports Federation and ITU announce new partnership

The Global Esports Federation, looking to introduce a global dialogue on partnerships in the esports space, has announced it’s become a member of the standardization arm of ITU, the International Telecommunication Union.

The new collaboration aims to further develop the conversation on conditions needed to establish international standards and guidelines for the esports industry.

Today esports is one of the world’s fastest growing markets, with an audience of over 450 million that’s growing at a yearly rate over 20%. Esports viewership is forecast to grow from 454 million last year to 646 million in 2023, per Business Insider Intelligence estimates.

Investments in the industry grew to $4.5 billion in 2018, from just $490 million the prior year.

Said GEF President Chris Chan, “We are honored to embark on this strategic partnership with the ITU in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and further strengthening the GEF’s mission of convening the world’s esports ecosystem.”

The Global Dialogue on Esports was introduced on June 24th with the first of a new series of webinars under the AI for Good Global Summit. More information can be found here.

AI for Good, a part of ITU, is one of the world’s preeminent organizations showcasing AI and its impact across the world. The organization’s summit is organized every year in Geneva by the ITU with the XPRIZE Foundation, in partnership with the UN and ACM.