The Esports industry has grown at a huge rate over recent years. From 2019 to 2023, viewership has increased by 10 million viewers per year.
This growth has opened up new pathways in the world of Esports, including Esports journalism.
Leo Silverman is a Broadcast and Digital Journalism senior at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Most of his classmates are interested in sports, news, and entertainment journalism.
Silverman is on a different path. He anticipates heading into the Esports world. He already works as a journalist in Esports, writing freelance articles about the industry and professional tournaments.
SYRACUSE, NY — “There are a lot of avenues that I am looking to take, either my reporting experience or my broadcasting experience into past college,” Silverman says. “I think it’s my passion.”
For students like Silverman, who have a passion for Esports, they will have a completely new avenue open to them next year.
SU is one of a small number of universities to start a major like this. Ohio State University, St. Peter’s University, and George Mason University also have an Esports program, among others.
“Yeah, darn,” Silverman says, “If this was a thing 3 or 4 years ago when I was a freshman or sophomore I probably would be in that major by now.”
The program will be a combined major between the Newhouse School of Public Communications and Falk College of Management.
Information Studies Professor Jeff Rubin spearheaded efforts to get the Esports program started.
It was a very fast process to get the program approved, Rubin says.
“It’s kind of remarkable,” Rubin says. “People told me to create a new major on campus to give myself 3 to 4 years to do something like that to happen and we did it beginning to end in a year which is pretty incredible.”
The Esports program will begin to admit its first students in the Fall of 2024.
