As stadiums and pro sports leagues shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, many fans turned to esports for the first time to fill the void.
A new survey from DraftKings of more than a thousand self-identified sports fans found that one in every four fans began watching a new sport during the pandemic. Esports took first place as the most newly-followed sport, followed by international soccer, MMA, and golf.
"I think it's here to stay," Johnny Avello, sportsbook director at DraftKings, told Cheddar Wednesday.
According to the DraftKings survey, 67 percent of those who started following a new sport plan to continue watching it once more traditional sports resume.
"I believe it'll continue to have its users, but when you put it against Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, and golf, it may lose a little bit of steam," Avello said. "But it's nice to have it as an option on the lower part of the list."
Fans are most looking forward to the return of the NBA, followed by MLB Opening Day, according to the survey.
But while many may be ready to tune in, one in five fans do not plan to return to stadiums until there is a cure for COVID-19.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
