THE year and a half have presented challenges because of the pandemic but Globe Telecom found ways to keep it going, particularly in its games and esports push.
In a media round table on Aug. 13, Nikko Acosta, Globe SVP and Head of Content Business Group, said that while the ongoing health crisis has pushed many to a very difficult situation, they got to tap on opportunities to continue to fuel the passion of gamers and esports enthusiasts.
“The past year and a half has been an opportunity for us. We did not give up on our push, the passion and priority for us remains the same,” said Mr. Acosta.
He went on to share that for games and esports, from a minimal share of content traffic three years ago, they went up to more than double in year-on-year traffic growth.
The Globe official cited the availability of the proper device, strong connection to internet services, and an impressive portfolio of games to choose from today as among the steady contributing factors for growth.
League of Legends: Wild Rift alone, he said, already reached 90% of its topline monthly target due to the wireless availability of the game, an area of access that was not available in the past.
Mr. Acosta said they are excited about the prospects moving forward.
In esports, its resiliency is something they are building on as they move on with their thrust.
A global phenomenon even before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), esports is showing it can thrive in the current environment as well.
As part of its esports push, Globe has created a digital community to allow fans to watch the tournaments right in the comforts of their homes but still be able to engage with other viewers through chat.
“We do the same with fervor and tenacity to set esports up, but we do it online. And we have the promise that someday when things open up with the proper safety protocols, we can go back to including our offline events. Esports is thriving because we can create a community digitally. And someday, it will be both digital and offline,” Mr. Acosta said.
With the pandemic still in play right now and in the foreseeable future, Mr. Acosta said Globe sees continued challenges but is determined to stay the course, driven by the passion for making things happen.
“Enjoying your passion doesn’t mean it will go away with this pandemic.”
Among the aspects they want to continue to develop is enabling local and aspiring esports athletes through leagues and grassroots programs like the Philippines Pro Gaming League (PPGL) and campus esports initiative AcadArena.
Supporting gaming content creators is also part of Globe’s programs with collaborations with more groups something they are open to doing down the line, Mr. Acosta said. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo