For sports fans, life has arguably never been better. With the internet, we have at our disposal a wealth of different activities and resources to pass the time with.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of these activities. We’ll start with betting sites and how you can not only check the likes of NFL odds, but can watch matches live too, usually for free.
We’ll also take a look at electronic sports (also known as esports), check out how to play fantasy sports online, and discuss the rise in virtual sports.
Watch live sports through betting sites
The world of betting is highly competitive. With so many different betting companies out there, players are spoilt for choice. In a bid to attract interest, betting companies go out of their way to make special offers and deals, predictions, and odds, and they often provide extra services like the live streaming of sports.
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to be able to watch live tennis, soccer, and American football through apps or websites. Sometimes, these games can’t be viewed anywhere else.
Even if you’re not into betting but love to watch sports online or on the go, you can simply sign up for an account and watch – without making a bet.
Try virtual sports
Linked to watching live sports online through betting apps is the rise of virtual sports.
Virtual sports are computer-simulated versions of the games we know and love, such as soccer or horse racing. Usually, you can watch them on your mobile or desktop device. Some even have virtual reality capabilities.
Playing these types of games works in exactly the same way as playing their real-life equivalent. You simply make a bet based on the information you have available (such as form and recent records) and watch the simulation play out.
One of the big draws of virtual sports is that they happen all day, every day. You might be bored one evening, for example, and after browsing through the TV channels, realize there’s no live sport to watch. Instead, you can open up your app and watch as many games as you like, on demand.
The only drawback when it comes to virtual sports is that they tend to be found on betting sites and may require you to place a bet to watch the simulations, depending on the sportsbook you’re using.
There is, however, an alternative that you may enjoy.
Try watching esports online
Electronic sports, or esports, have rocketed in popularity in recent years. Put simply, they’re organized, professional events centered on different types of computer games.
Some of the most popular games in the esports world include Dota 2, FIFA and Fortnite.
Hundreds of thousands of people attend these live events, which take place over a few days all over the globe. Millions more stream the proceedings at home.
Research from 2021 suggests that in 2020 alone, around 439 million people watched esports events. This is a 10% rise compared to 2019.
This growth has been attributed to the new and interesting ways in which esports is attracting new fans. The likes of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube have all been harnessed in effective and compelling ways to draw huge audiences.
And this is something that’s also open to you – you can use live streaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch to watch live events or even just individual streamers who may be playing some of your favorite games.
And the best thing of all is that watching esports online is completely free. For big events, there may be a fee to watch streams, but by and large, watching people play games live is something you don’t have to pay for.
Play fantasy sports online
Something that many sports fans enjoy doing online is playing the fantasy version of their favorite game.
You’ve no doubt heard of Fantasy Football or the Fantasy NBA Draft. These online competitions are free to play and couldn’t be simpler.
Accessible via your mobile or desktop device, you simply create a profile and choose your favorite team. Usually, with fantasy football, you’re given a budget, with each player having a value. Each player is awarded points when they do things in real life, such as scoring a goal or a touchdown.
The task is to assemble the team you think will score the most points over the course of the season. But it’s a lot more difficult than it sounds.