Paris 2024 bid team to discuss introducing esports for Olympic Games

Esports could be added to the Olympic Games programme in 2024, with the Paris bid team keen to discuss the issue with the International Olympic Committee.

Competitive video gaming generated £400m in revenue in 2016, has a global audience of about 320 million, and will be included in the 2022 Asian Games.

"We have to look at it because we can't say, 'it's not about Olympics,'" Paris 2024 co-president Tony Estanguet said.

"The youth are interested, so let's meet them," he told the AP news agency.

"I think it's interesting to interact with the IOC and the esports family to better understand what the process is and why it is such a success.

"There is some time to look at it, to interact, to engage. I don't want to say 'no' from the beginning."

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Paris' hosting of the 2024 Games - and Los Angeles' in 2028 - is set to be officially ratified at an IOC congress in Lima, Peru in September.

The 2024 programme will start to be shaped in 2019, and a decision on what sports are to be added in Paris will be taken after the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

"We will spend some time after Lima to engage with new people and stakeholders," Estanguet said.

"The IOC will have the last say if they want esports on the programme. Let's discuss among ourselves."