Getting into esports hosting

Bryony-Hope

5 min read | 21 Apr 2022

Esports hosts are the heart and soul of broadcasts, and the show would not go on without their work. But how do you break into the hosting scene?

In this guide, we share some of our top tips on how you can start out becoming an esports host. 

Grow your confidence:

Having confidence is probably the most important thing about being an esports host, due to it being a front-facing role in the industry.

Being on camera and speaking in front of people is the norm for a host, so making sure you are confident will make everything easier. Public speaking may be a daunting task, but getting into the swing of speaking in front of people will transfer straight into hosting.

Just practice speaking in front of people, or recording yourself doing some hosting work – and the more you do it, the more confident you will get.

Sometimes broadcasts may be done virtually, so you are hosting in your own space. Make sure you treat these the same as being on a stage, so you can get the best practice for events.

Practice is key, and you will notice your confidence grow the more you are able to get stuck into some hosting.

Find your title:

Even though many hosts can work across different titles when starting out their career, it is good to establish yourself in one title.

Work in different titles to get a feel for what works best for you, and push yourself to go for bigger events. Once you get comfortable in your skills, then you can take the steps to establish yourself as a prominent host in a specific gaming community.

There are many perks in being a versatile host, in that you can throw yourself into any event, but as your career progresses take the steps to become prominent in one area.

In the industry, people know specific hosts for specific titles, so it is worth keeping that in mind as you progress your career. 

Watch other hosts:

As with anyone in esports, everyone has their own personality that they bring to their work. So, by watching how other hosts bring themselves into their work, you can learn to do the same.

Also, by watching other hosts in action, you are able to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t during an event.

Watching more established esports hosts can be of real benefit to your career development, and can allow for you to learn from those already in the field.

Whilst you may have already decided on your title that you want to go into, it is always worth looking into other hosts in different titles just to get some variety. Who knows, you might really like the work of someone in a completely different title than you want to work in.

Making it a regular thing to watch how other hosts work can pay off, and allow you to become the best host you can possibly be. 

Network:

This is something that goes over every career in esports, but ensuring that you network with others in your field is really important.

Making contacts online and at events can potentially open up future opportunities, as well as allowing you to meet new people in the industry.

Widening your network early in your career will allow for you to meet a wide variety of people, but also work with others to push yourself to the next level.

Another way you can network is by reaching out to hosts already in the scene, and ask for advice on how you can progress your career. Many people are very approachable and will be willing to help, so get in contact. 

Practice:

It may be an obvious one, but practice makes perfect – and getting as much practice in as a host can be very beneficial.

Start off by recording yourself as though you were introducing a match, and then watch it back to find out where you need to improve. Keep doing this until you get confident in your abilities as a host, and then branch out.

Look at any volunteering opportunities available within the industry, and reach out to local teams to see if you can host some streams or events for them.

Getting in as much practical experience as possible will make you a better host all round, and is good practice for starting out your career. 

Whilst these are only a few things to consider when starting out as a host, there is a whole range of things you can do to break into the scene.

Do you want to see more career guides? Let us know on the British Esports social media accounts.