Esports is thriving on online video platforms like YouTube and Twitch, where gaming audiences – typically male and Millennial – are amassed to watch top gamers compete against one another in video game tournaments. As linear TV ratings decline across demographics, but particularly among male Millennials, TV networks like ESPN and Turner have expanded their programming to include more esports events in hopes of luring these coveted demographics back to linear TV. In order for this experiment to succeed, the TV networks will need to turn these nerdy gaming events into mainstream sport. The robust growth seen in esports’ audience and revenue is what’s attracted the TV networks. Its audience has doubled over the last year, and is projected to…