Geopolitical Economy of Esports

Simon Chadwick is Professor of AfroEurasian Sport at Emlyon Business School, China. Yue Meng-Lewis is Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Digital Marketing at the Open University, UK. Donna Wong is Senior Lecturer in Sport Management at Keele University, UK.Paul Widdop is Reader in Sport Business at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

• 1. Introduction Part I: The Geopolitical Economy of Esports 2. The Geopolitical Economy of Esports: Where Commercial Interests and Public Policy Converge in a New Emerging Landscape 3. E-sports and Economic Development: An Emerging Industry 4. Concentration and Control of Organized Esports: E-Dominance 5. Geopolitical Influences on Esports Finances 6. Esports Alongside Olympic Values 7. The IOC’s Youth Quest and China’s eSports Power Play: A Big Top-Down 8. Nation Branding, Esports Diplomacy and the Olympic Movement 9. Football Clubs and Esports: A Global Strategy for Cultural and Media Expansion 10. Real Cycling in a Virtual World: Zwift 11. Esports Mercenaries and their Role as Stateless Economic Agents Part II: China 12. China’s Esports Ecosystem: The Geopolitical Implications of a Growing Industry 13. China and E-sports in the Global South: From Corporate Actions to Geopolitical and Economic Cooperation? 14. The Marginal-Mainstream Transition of Esports in China: A Government Perspective 15. Nationalism and Cultural Conflicts Among Chinese Esports Fans Supporting Foreign Players: Clash of Loyalties 16. Gaming as a Cultural Export: Exploring the Global Success of Chinese Games 17. The Reasons, Responses, Results and Recommendations of the Gaming Time Limit Policy in China: “A ‘70-year-old Grandma’ Gets a Pentakill in the Rift at Midnight” Part III: Saudi Arabia 18. Saudi Arabia's Integrated Influence Strategy in Global Esports: Beyond Soft Power 19. Saudi Arabia’s Esports Revolution: Sports, Tech-Diplomacy and Nation Branding to Build a New Global Power 20. Hosting the Future of the Olympic Games: Saudi Kingdom or Esports Kingdom? 21. Exploring the Esports Ecosystem in Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco: Gaming Across Borders 22. Saudi Arabia's Sponsorship and Engagement in UK and European Esports Organisations Part IV: Asia 23. Esports and National Ambitions in the Middle East: Leveling Up 24. Strategic Initiatives in Gaming and Esports: The UAE's Digital Playground 25. The Sociopolitical and Psychological Landscape of Iranian Women in Esports: Controllers and Stereotypes 26. The Evolution and Business of Esports in India 27. The Geopolitical Economy of Esports in India 28. Rise of Indian Esports: Nationalist Identity and Geopolitical Vision at Play 29. Singapore’s Role in the Global Esports Race: Game On 30. Governance and Gaming: The Case of Singapore’s Esports Academy 31. Systemic Esports Development in South Korea: Paving the Way for Faker and Other ‘Elite’ Players 32. Vietnamese Esports in Transition: From Grassroots to National Strategy in a Geopolitical Arena 33. Overcoming Invisible Cultural Barriers to Esports Development: Japan’s Next Quest Part V: Europe and the Rest of the World 34. Strategic Partnerships and Alliances in Esports in Europe and Their Geopolitical Implications 35. The Symbolic Value of Esports Megaevents: A London and League of Legends Worlds Case Study 36. The Rise of Amateur Esports and the Role of Education in Britain 37. Esports Wales and the Value of Localisation to Power International Success 38. The Role of Esports as a Tool of Public Diplomacy: Opportunities for Brazil on the Global Stage 39. The Socio-cultural and Economic Dynamics of the Emergence of Esport in Zimbabwe 40. Esports and International Sanctions: An Overview of Measures and Responses on Russian Esports