Professional video game playing is becoming a global spectator sport, according to a study which says 2.4bn hours were spent watching gamers last year.

A report from research firm IHS Technology suggests that e-sports, or watching other people play games, is far from a niche interest. The company says the number of e-sport viewing hours nearly doubled, from 1.3bn in 2012 to 2.4bn in 2013.

Games fans watch people play online through services such as Twitch – which is a $1bn takeover target for Google – and on traditional TV channels or at live events.

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