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We live in a time where niche sports and activities have a chance to break through into the mainstream if they can create enough hype on the internet. A recent example is Karate Combat. Piggybacking off the success of MMA and, most notably, the UFC, Karate Combat is gradually increasing its profile online. By drafting former UFC stars such as Bas Rutten and George St-Pierre to promote the company on Instagram, as well as getting the likes of Luke Rockhold to fight, Karate Combat has seen impressive spikes on Instagram in recent years.
Data from Social Blade shows that between 2018, when the company formed, and 2024, there have been several periods where Karate Combat has gained more than 35,000 followers in a week. Today, the company has 1.5 million followers on Instagram alone, and the production value of its shows has increased noticeably. The point here is that exposure on social media, coupled with famous faces from a sport that’s hugely popular, can help boost the profile of a niche organisation.
Can Blackjack Kick Ass Outside of the Casino World?
We’ve started with karate, but the main aim of this piece is to examine the potential of blackjack. In terms of popularity, blackjack has been played by people around the world for centuries. Indeed, you can walk into any casino, and there will be dozens of blackjack tables offering 3:2 payouts, side bets, progressive jackpots and more. One of the main reasons blackjack is the go-to choice for gamblers is its low house edge. Despite being the game of choice for savvy gamblers, blackjack doesn’t enjoy the same media exposure as another popular game, poker.
Events such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP) not only attract thousands of players from over 50 countries and they are shown on mainstream TV networks, including ESPN. The exposure poker events received during the early noughties helped make it a mainstream game. The other reason poker got popular in the noughties was the internet. Giving people access to games online helped the game grow. This, in turn, led to more exposure on social media, and voila, poker is now a multi-billion dollar industry.
Could blackjack, a game that’s easier to follow than poker, do the same thing? Could it go from a niche activity like karate and become a product people want to watch on TV or social media? If it’s going to, blackjack tournaments need to be the primary focus. There’s a certain drama to poker tournaments that content creatures could create in blackjack tournaments. Indeed, when you learn more about blackjack tournaments, you realise they actually come in a variety of formats, including freerolls, elimination, non-elimination, and sit & gos.
Now Could be the Right Time to Try Again
There’s enough variety there to create a show based on blackjack tournaments. Something else you can take from the WSOP is money. Specifically, the stakes people play for and the prizes they can win. Viewers need to see people playing for six or seven-figure prizes to be engaged. Then, taking a lesson from Karate Combat, celebrity players would help.
UFC President Dana White is a huge blackjack player, as is social media star Stephen Deleonardis, aka Stevewilldoit (see video above). These two alone would generate huge viewing figures. Throw some pro players into the mix, and you’ve got an event that’s a nice mix of luck, skill, personalities and prizes. These things don’t guarantee success, but they have helped poker become mainstream entertainment and, to a lesser extent, Karate Combat.
Previous attempts to create a World Series of Blackjack failed, but that’s because the timing wasn’t right. It had famous players, $1 million prize pools and drama from 2004 to 2007, but the power of social media wasn’t what it is today. All of the ingredients are there, it just needs someone to put them together in a package that can be promoted on social media. Then, if it strikes the right chord with people and goes viral, blackjack could easily go mainstream.
