Major leagues have entered eSports, but how many will watch?

Washington Capitals eSports player John Casagranda of Alaska plays a hockey video game in Washington, DC. Video games are now the largest entertainment industry in the world, and innovations like livestreaming have made eSports a global phenomenon. The largest competitions have had tens of millions of viewers watching competitors battle for millions of dollars in prizes. — Photos: AFP

WASHINGTON: In a windowless room in downtown Washington, the city's most promising new basketballers are honing their skills and readying to compete against adversaries they sometimes don't even meet.

There are no hoops or balls in the practice room of Wizards District Gaming, just video monitors and consoles loaded with NBA 2K20, the basketball simulation that the team's eSports athletes use to compete with adversaries from across the United States.