How Big Is The Esports Industry?
Contents
The esports industry is still growing, but just how big is it? Here’s a look at the numbers behind the industry’s growth.
Introduction
The esports industry is growing rapidly with no signs of slowing down. In 2019, the global esports market was valued at $865 million and is projected to reach $1.79 billion by 2022, according to Newzoo’s Global Esports Market Report. The industry is still in its early stages, but it’s already clear that esports is here to stay.
There are a number of factors driving the growth of esports. First and foremost, there is a large and growing base of esports fans around the world. According to Newzoo, there are currently380 million esports fans globally, and this number is expected to grow to 557 million by 2021. Esports fans are passionate and engaged, with 69% watching more than once a week and 55% spending more than four hours per week watching esports content.
In addition to fan growth, the industry is also benefiting from increasing investment from a variety of sources. Brands are sponsorships and advertisers are poured nearly $890 million into the esports industry in 2019, while game publishers and tournament organizers have invest $257 million and $174 million respectively. These numbers are only expected to grow in the coming years as more companies recognize the value of reaching the coveted 18-34 year old male demographic that makes up the majority of esports fans.
With such strong growth projections, it’s no wonder that everyone from traditional sports teams to celebrities are getting involved in esports. And as the industry continues to mature, we can only expect even more exciting developments in the years to come.
The Size of the Esports Industry
The esports industry is growing day by day. The global esports market was valued at $906 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $1.65 billion by 2023. The industry is still in its infancy, but it is growing at a rapid pace.
Revenue
Esports is a rapidly growing industry with immense potential. In 2017, the global esports market generated revenue of $696 million, which is expected to grow to $1.5 billion by 2020. The industry is still in its early stages, but it has already attracted widespread investment from traditional sports franchises, media companies, and venture capitalists.
There are several different ways to measure the size of the esports industry. One way is to look at the revenue generated by esport events and companies. This includes revenue from sponsorships, advertising, merchandise sales, ticket sales, and prize money. According to Newzoo, a leading esports research firm, the total revenue of the esports industry was $696 million in 2017. This is expected to grow to $1.5 billion by 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38%.
Another way to measure the size of the esports industry is by looking at the number of people who watch or participate in esports activities. According to Newzoo, there are currently 385 million esports enthusiasts in the world and this number is expected to grow to 557 million by 2021. Of these enthusiasts, 191 million are occasional viewers and 194 million are dedicated fans. In addition, there are currently 1.8 billion people who consider themselves gamers across the globe.
The Esports Market Report 2019 from Business Insider Intelligence estimates that there will be 300 million esports viewers globally by 2022. This represents an increase of almost 60% from 2018. The report also estimates that there will be $1.8 billion in global esports revenues by 2022, up from $906 million in 2018 – a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26%.
Audience
esports has already reached mainstream status. In 2017, the global esports economy was valued at almost $700 million. This is set to grow to $1.5 billion by 2020. And by 2021, the total number of esports viewers will reach almost 600 million people worldwide.
The vast majority of esports viewers are aged between 21 and 35 – and they’re overwhelmingly male. In fact,male viewers make up 82% of the total esports audience.
This gives advertisers a valuable opportunity to reach a highly engaged, young audience that is notoriously difficult to reach through traditional channels.
Tournaments
Since the early days of esports, tournaments have been organized in order to pit the best players against each other in order to find out who is the best at a certain game. These tournaments can be online or offline, with offline tournaments being generally more prestigious. The size of these tournaments has also increased over time, with prize pools now reaching into the millions of dollars for some of the biggest events.
The largest tournament in esports history was The International 2019, which was an event for the game DOTA 2. This tournament had a prize pool of over $34 million, which was crowdfunded by the community through in-game purchases. This just goes to show how large and passionate the esports community can be.
While The International is by far the largest tournament in esports history, there are many other large tournaments that take place each year. Some of these other tournaments include CS:GO Major Championships, League of Legends World Championship, Overwatch World Cup and more. With so many different games being played at a professional level, there is sure to be a tournament for everyone to enjoy.
The Future of the Esports Industry
Right now, the esports industry is worth close to $1 billion dollars and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. It is estimated that by 2022, the industry will be worth close to $2 billion dollars. The most popular games in esports are League of Legends, Overwatch, CS:GO, and Dota 2.
Growth
Despite its already impressive size, the esports industry is still growing. Newzoo estimates that the global esports economy will reach $696 million in 2017, a year-over-year growth of 41.3%. Of this amount, $361 million will come from sponsorships and advertising, $266 million from media rights and investment, and $69 million from game publisher fees.
This growth is being driven by an increase in the number of people who are playing and watching esports. In 2016, there were around 225 million esports enthusiasts worldwide. This number is expected to grow to 323 million in 2019. Of these enthusiasts, 165 million are considered “regular” viewers who watch at least once a month.
It’s not just the number of people who are playing or watching that is increasing. It’s also the amount of money that they are spending. In 2016, global esports revenues reached $493 million. This number is expected to grow to $1.1 billion by 2019.
Expansion
The esports industry is still in its infancy, but it is growing rapidly. In 2018, the global esports economy was worth $696 million, and it is expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2022.1 The industry is being driven by the popularity of live-streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, as well as the increasing prize pools for competitive tournaments.
There are several factors that are driving the growth of the esports industry. First, there is a increasing number of people who are interested in watching competitive video gaming. According to a report from Newzoo, there will be 645 million esports viewers in 2019, up from 435 million in 2017.2 The majority of these viewers are young men between the ages of 18 and 34.
Second, there is a growing number of companies that are investing in the esports industry. These companies see the potential for high returns on their investment, as well as the potential to reach a large and engaged audience. In addition to traditional investors, a number of celebrities have also invested in esports startups, including Shaquille O’Neal, Jennifer Lopez, and Ashton Kutcher.
Third, there is an increase in the amount of prize money that is being awarded to professional gamers. This is largely due to the fact that more companies are sponsoring competitive gaming tournaments. For example, Intel Extreme Masters had a prize pool of $1 million in 2017, up from $250,000 in 2006.4 This increase in prize money has made professional gaming a more viable career option for many people.
Fourth, there is a growing number of schools that are offering scholarships for gamers. This is another factor that is making professional gaming a more viable career option for many young people. A number of colleges and universities have launched varsity esports programs and offer scholarships to gamers who exhibit high levels of skill and potential.
The esports industry is still in its early stages of development, but it shows great promise for continuing growth in the years to come.
Conclusion
Based on the information gathered in this report, it is evident that the esports industry is growing rapidly. With more people playing games and watching events online, it is no surprise that the industry is seeing such a large influx of investment.
The report found that the global esports market was valued at $696 million in 2017 and is expected to grow to $1.5 billion by 2020. This rapid growth can be attributed to a number of factors, including the increasing popularity of online gaming, the rise of mobile gaming, and the growing number of people who are interested inwatching professional gamers compete.
With so much money being poured into the industry, it is only a matter of time before we see even more development in this space. We can expect to see more large-scale tournaments being held around the world, as well as an increase in the prize money that is up for grabs. In addition, we can expect to see more businesses getting involved in esports, whether it be through sponsorship or advertisement.
The future looks bright for esports and it will be interesting to see how this rapidly growing industry develops over the next few years.