Thailand's leading mobile operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) has made its first foray into e-sports through a partnership with SingTel Group, the largest telecom operator in Singapore, to strengthen Thai gamers' competitiveness and engage more clients with the network.
The company wants to help Thai gamers make a name for themselves on the global stage, said Pratthana Leelapanang, chief consumer business officer for AIS.
AIS wants to form partnerships with other industry players to promote e-sports so it grows sustainably and benefits everyone involved.
He said the company is driving e-sports by providing a full range of digital platforms via its strong infrastructure network for both mobile internet and fixed broadband.
Mr Pratthana said e-sports has enjoyed exponential growth among millennials in Asia since its inclusion as a demonstration sport in the 2018 Asian Games. The e-sports industry in Thailand has also seen dramatic growth due to the expansion of relevant businesses. Thailand's E-Sports community spans 30 million amateur and professional gamers as well as tournament viewers.
He forecasts the gaming industry in Thailand, both mobile and PC, will grow 30-40% per year in terms of revenue and infrastructure, projected to reach 20 billion baht this year.
An AIS report said Southeast Asia is the fastest-growing region for e-sports audiences, whose size is expected to double to 40 million between 2017-19.
As audiences grow, e-sports is pushing into the sporting mainstream. The Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta this August will be the first major event in the world including e-sports as a demonstration sport. He said that will make the gaming community larger, further driving growth.
"I believe e-sports in Thailand is coming into the spotlight because it complements the IT skills of millennials and is becoming a global trend that is now recognised as an authentic and understandable form of sport," said Mr Pratthana.
He is optimistic that Thai gamers can compete on the global stage and AIS is teaming up with all parties in the e-sports industry, including game developers, hardware manufacturers, institutes and associations to drive the e-sports industry forward and achieve international recognition.
"The booming e-sports industry will allow young people the opportunity to make gaming a career, while Thai e-sports athletes are able to show off their capabilities in top form at every competition," said Mr Pratthana.
Singtel Group will kick off its regional e-sports initiative with the launch of PVP E-Sports Championship to grow a vibrant e-sports ecosystem and community in Southeast Asia, together with its partner Optus in Australia, and regional associates Airtel in India, AIS, Globe Telecom in the Philippines, and Telkomsel in Indonesia.
Singtel's International Group chief executive Arthur Lang said that the telecommunications industry have both the capabilities and assets to effectively take part in the emerging industry regionally and globally.
He said that engaging largely millennial consumers on a regional level is the only way to play in the growing gaming industry ecosystem.
Mr Lang said mobile-based games have gained a strong following in the region, with the group primarily focusing on mobile phones, helping build a vibrant e-sports ecosystem and provide gamers access to original content.
"E-sports is no longer niche, it's moving into the mainstream and the number of viewership has surpassed NBA and NFL already," he said.
AIS and SingTel will organise the PVP E-Sports Championship in Thailand, a joint event organised by strategic operators to tap into over 600 million e-sports gamers worldwide.
The competition will be held from July to October, and will include mobile and PC gaming leagues. The winners will go on to participate in the regional tournament in Singapore.
This tournament focuses on two popular games: ROV (mobile) and DOTA2 (PC), offering winners regional prizes totalling more than 11.5 million baht.
Singtel Group has strategic operators in six countries.