Los Angeles is in the business of sports. While teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Rams may come to mind first when thinking of the industry in L.A., there’s a lot more to it than that. The newest entrant? Esports. As of last year, esports viewership reached 532 million, a figure expected to grow to more than 640 million by 2025.
The newness of esports stands in sharp contrast to some of the county’s oldest venues, such as the Grand Olympic Auditorium, built nearly 100 years ago as L.A.’s answer to New York’s famed Madison Square Garden. The downtown stadium, which once was home to boxing, wrestling and roller derby, as well as film and TV shoots, has been a Korean church since 2005. While the venue may not be the sports hub it once was, one filmmaker is hoping its legacy survives through his “18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story” documentary.
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