>>57452016not even close to the reason.
it's because of streaming that e-sports is as big as it is today.
the main reason is because of the amount of money they have to pay before the tournament starts.
they have to pay for salaries, they pay for the team's hotel and flight, they have to put money into the prize pool, they have to probably pay other fees to the league or competition organizer, there are a lot of things Teams have to pay for just to get to play in the comp.
and when they play and the team plays like shit and bombs out of the tournament with either no winnings or a cash prize so small you're better off just giving it to a homeless.
btw, those costs don't include the team houses they probably bought or renting or anything else that they pay for outside of competitions.
that's why top tier TEAM games are a money pit.
if you sponsor one guy to play Smash bros, you aren't losing a fuck ton of money if any at all.