The NHL is making a move into esports with the 2018 NHL Gaming World Championship.

The NHL is making a move into esports with the 2018 NHL Gaming World Championship. A UMass Lowell study found that four in ten 14-21-year-olds are football fans while 38% like esports, showing the closing gap between traditional sports and competitive gaming. One esports executive added, “I'm excited that [the NHL is] trying out-of-the-box methods to reach a young audience that might not otherwise be familiar with or enthusiastic about NHL content.” (ESPN, CBS)