How Many People Watch Esports?

A lot of people are interested in esports, but how many people actually watch them? We take a look at the numbers to find out.

Introduction

Esports is a growing industry with a global audience of millions of people. But just how many people watch esports? And where are they located?

A recent report by Newzoo estimates that there are 380 million esports viewers worldwide, with the majority located in Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries. Of those viewers, 175 million are classified as “occasional viewers” who tune in for major events, while the remaining 205 million are considered “esports enthusiasts” who follow the scene more closely.

Notably, the report found that APAC countries make up 58% of the total global esports audience, with China alone accounting for 30%. North America comes in second with 19%, while Europe (including Russia) trails behind with 11%.

These findings align with previous reports on the matter, suggesting that the esports industry is still very much in its growth phase. With more and more people tuning in to watch professional gamers compete at the highest level, it’s likely that we’ll see even bigger numbers in the years to come.

The Popularity of Esports

The Rise of Twitch

Twitch is a live streaming platform for gamers that has seen a massive surge in popularity in recent years. According to a report by SuperData Research, Twitch had 2.2 million unique monthly viewers in 2013, which grew to 15 million by 2015. In 2016, that number had risen to 24 million. And as of 2017, Twitch averaged around 100 million viewers per month.

This growth can be attributed to a number of factors, including the rise of popular esports titles such as League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and the increasing popularity of live streaming platforms like Twitch among younger audiences.

The Growth of Esports Tournaments

While the concept of organized competitive gaming is nothing new, the professionalization of esports is a relatively recent phenomenon. The history of esports is often traced back to a 1972 Space Invaders tournament, which attracted more than 10,000 participants, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that multiplayer console and PC games began to take off in the tournament scene. Since then, esports has grown exponentially in both popularity and prize money.

Today, there are dozens of major esports tournaments held around the world each year, with some events offering multimillion-dollar prize pools. The international appeal of esports was on full display at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where competitive gaming was featured as a demonstration sport for the first time. And it’s not just restricted to video games – other forms of competitive gaming, such as card games and sports simulations, are also gaining popularity as esports.

With its combination of fast-paced action, strategic depth and unbridled enthusiasm from fans, it’s easy to see why esports has captured the attention of so many people around the world.

The Increase in Esports Sponsorships

As the world of esports continues to grow in popularity, so too has the number of sponsorships from big companies. In the past, most esport tournaments were sponsored by computer hardware or energy drink companies. However, now we are seeing a broad range of companies sponsoring tournaments, from hyper-competitive mobile games to multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs).

The most popular esport in the world is League of Legends (LoL), which is a MOBA. According to data from Newzoo, in 2019 there were 380 million people worldwide who watched or played esports. Of those 380 million people, 165 million watched LoL. This makes LoL the most watched esport in the world.

The increase in sponsorships can be attributed to the growing popularity of esports. As more people watch and play esports, more companies are willing to invest in sponsoring tournaments. This is because they see the potential for reaching a large audience through sponsorship.

Some of the biggest brands that have sponsored LoL tournaments include Coca-Cola, Red Bull, and HTC. These are all companies that have a long history of sponsoring traditional sports like football and basketball. However, they have also seen the potential in investing in esports sponsorships.

It is not just big brands that are sponsoring esports tournaments; we are also seeing a number of smaller companies sponsor events. This shows that there is a broad range of interest in sponsoring esports from both big and small businesses.

How Many People Watch Esports?

The Estimate of Twitch Users

Twitch is the most popular website for live streaming of video games with an estimate of 15 million daily active users. The average viewer spends 106 minutes per day watching Twitch streams. It is also estimated that 6.7% of Twitch users say they would pay to watch their favorite streamer, with the potential to generate $1 billion in revenue by 2021.

The Estimate of Esports Tournament Viewers

As the popularity of esports increases, so too does the number of people who are watching tournaments. A recent estimate puts the number of esports tournament viewers at around 380 million people worldwide. This is a significant increase from previous estimates, which put the number at around 200 million people in 2017. The majority of viewers are between the ages of 18 and 34, and most of them live in Asia-Pacific countries.

The Estimate of Esports Sponsorships

According to a Newzoo estimate, 415 million people watched or played esports in 2017, an increase of 19 percent since 2016. Of these fans, 165 million are occasional viewers and 250 million are hardcore fans.1 This compares with 1.08 billion occasional and 335 million dedicated viewers of traditional sports worldwide in 2017.2 The global esports economy will generate $696 million in 2017, a year-on-year growth of 41.3 percent. By 2020, Newzoo estimates it will reach $1.5 billion.

Conclusion

To sum it up, the esports industry is still in its early developmental stages. The infrastructure is not as robust as it needs to be to sustain long-term growth. This is especially apparent in the way that esports participants are treated and compensated. In addition, the challenges that the industry faces in terms of diversity, representation, and inclusion will need to be addressed if it wants to grow its appeal to a more mainstream audience. Nevertheless, the potential for esports to become a global phenomenon is undeniable. With the right decisions made by those in charge, there is no reason why esports cannot achieve the same level of popularity and success as traditional sports.