Why people are spending hours watching others compete in online games?

Rahul Manchanda, a second year engineering student in Patna eagerly awaits for gaming tournaments to begin, and spends hours watching them without blinking an eye. His favourites are not IPL or Wimbledon but something called PUBG tournament.

“I’ve seen my friends earn handsome money by playing PUBG and Tekken. These are strategic games and require a lot of skills. I follow these tournaments to improve my gaming skills,” Manchanda told Businessline, explaining how he also aspires to become a professional online gamer one day.

Online gaming in India is gaining ground rapidly with multiple events drawing millions of gamers to just watch it online while thousands are seen packed inside stadium-like venues where select top gamers are fighting it out on their screens.