French esports institutionalization
Abstract
Electronic sports, more commonly known as "esports", has seens increasing popularity and media coverage since the early 2010s. The interest of the generalist and specialized media for this phenomenon goes hand in hand with the recent recognition of esports by the French public authorities. Indeed, since April 2016, the association France Esports, an entity resulting from the "Digital Republic" bill, is officially supported by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The association has set itself the task of structuring and promoting esports at the national level by drawing up technical regulations relating to the practice, establishing a membership policy, setting up rules for the organization of championships or the protection of minors. However, since the late 1990s, esports French development is independent of any public authority. How has esports been structured in France over time? What are the supervisory bodies involved in the organization of the French esports area? Thus, this contribution aims to report on the structuring of esports in France and its institutionalization.