Game Tournament Ladders

[PostUp]

How can leagues like MLG afford to give out cash prizes with FREE registration (no fees).

Call of Duty Black Ops Summer Laddar

I ask because I have a gaming niche in mind, but I'm not quite sure how to monetize it except through adsense and some offers.

Here is another example:

clgaming.net

They make the bulk of their income from adspace on their live streams. But if you don't click on the ads, or have an adblocker on FF, I don't see how they make any money.

Can anyone help clarify please?

 

[King.]

Registration is free for players, not viewers. It's payperview, they also have sponsors. I actually follow the mlg and gsl, just like hundreds of thousands of other gaming nerds. Esports is booming, and it's only gonna get bigger.