Making competitive robotics go pro

[FarmerJohn]

What would it take to make a competitive robotics program at the pro level? In the same way we have professional sports, how could we turn competitive robotics into a professional sport where the best of the best form teams around the world and compete against each other as their job? Every other professional competitive sport, from NASCAR to curling, had its start as a casual game. Battlebots somewhat fits the bill, but I'm looking at something similar to FRC and VEX. Do you think it's possible to one day have professional competitive robotics, and if so, what do you think are the steps to make that happen?