The worldwide eSports market has now reached 143 million viewers, but there is still no easy way to get up-to-date information on these competitive video game tournaments, which include games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike.
Part of the Summer YC 2015 class, Instant eSports is building a mobile platform that displays news, scores, and schedules from the most popular competitive gaming leagues around the world.
The app pulls information from a variety of sources, including each league’s website, Steam APIs, and multiple eSports blogs across the web. Rick Ling, co-founder of Instant eSports, said that most eSports sites produce fewer than 10 original articles a week. By combining all of these sites into a single newsfeed, the company can give eSports fans a news source far better than any traditional news site, says Ling.
Since different fans are interested in different video games or leagues, the app lets users filter information by team or sport, allowing them to customize their experience. The app also allows fans to set reminders for upcoming games and follow current games with real-time score updates.
Instant eSports is also aiming to bridge the gap between the U.S./Europe and Asian eSports market. Since more than 75 percent of eSports fans belong to the Asian market, the company is making support for international eSports a priority. Asian tournaments are already on the app, and the app itself will launch in Asia next year.
The company has forged partnerships with multiple eSports organizations including FNATIC (which is the largest in Europe). Going forward, Instant eSports is planning to release an Android version of its app, as well as roll out support for more games.
Instant eSports is currently available in the iOS App Store, and will launch on Android in the near future.