40% of esports revenue comes from sponsorships.7 in 10 esports fans aged 13 to 40 years old prefer promotions of gaming-related brands.In the past five years, the number of athletes courted for marketing partnerships of sponsorship tripled from 8,000 to 25,000.Esports ad revenue will grow over from $178 million in 2019 to $214 million in 2020.Ad spending will rise to $224 million in 2020.By the end of 2020, sponsorship will reach $655 million.43% of the esports audience is appreciative of brands that reach out to them.A growing number of advertisers are taking advantage of the receptive gaming audience, which has now led to fiercer competition among brands and advertising companies. The esports market continues to propel forward because of the many advertising and branding opportunities it presents. And for these brands, the effort is well worth it-various studies have proven that gamers tend to show loyalty to brands that capture their attention. Brands such as Coca-Cola, Gillette, Arby’s, and Audi have stepped into the esports landscape, hoping to reach the gaming audience who were originally elusive to traditional advertising approaches. The explosive growth of esports has caught the eye of big-spending advertisers and marketers. The following countries are ranked based on their 2019 revenue estimates.Īdvertising and Branding Opportunities in Esports In terms of game revenue, China emerges as the top esports market. Latin America is the fastest-rising esports market, with its revenue hitting $18 million in 2018 and possibly reaching $43 million by the end of 2023.Forecasts reveal that Europe’s esports revenue in 2020 will reach $138 million.North America’s esports revenue is expected to reach $300 million in 2020.57% of the total global esports viewership came from APAC.
Asia-Pacific (APAC), North America, and Europe are the top three regions leading the esports market. The esports industry is worth $900 million.Īs esports goes mainstream, it’s only natural to expect that the growing revenue comes from different parts of the world, with each country varying in their contributions in terms of revenue and viewership.69% of esports revenue comes from advertising and sponsorships.In 2020, the revenue of the esports industry is expected to surpass $1 billion.In 2018, investments rose from $490 million in the previous year to $4.5 billion.838% – the year-over-year growth rate of esports investments.From 34% in 2017, the number of investments doubled to 68% in 2018.557 million – the projected average number of users by the end of 2020.In 2022, it’s poised to overtake American Baseball audience too, at 645 million vs. This audience size is now larger than that of American Football & Rugby, with 410 million global audiences in the same period. 443 million – the average number of users by the end of 2019.19% – average year on year growth rate for the last six years (2012–2019).$1.096 billion – total revenue by the end of 2019.From 2018 to 2023, the total esports viewership is predicted to grow at a 9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).These esports brands have aggressively moved into merchandising as well, lending brands more exposure and popularity.Īs a result, esports has flourished and kept conquering new heights year after year. Streaming platforms such as YouTube Gaming and Twitch have allowed esports to hit mainstream media, establishing a more accessible connection between fans and esports organizations from all over the world. Pop-culturalization has also played a significant role in the growth of esports. Aside from viewership, sponsorship and advertising have contributed largely to the growing market of esports, with venture capitalists and private equity firms bringing in investments to stratospheric levels. Advertising and Branding Opportunities In EsportsĮsports has gone beyond gaming events-today, it shares the spotlight with commerce and branding opportunities, powering explosions in investments and revenue.