How Popular Is Esports?

A look at the popularity of Esports and whether it is here to stay or just a passing fad.

Introduction

The popularity of esports has grown exponentially in recent years. According to a report by Newzoo, the global esports economy is expected to reach $1.79 billion by 2022. This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing popularity of live streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, the rise of mobile gaming, and the growing interest from traditional sports leagues and investors.

While there are no definitive numbers on how many people regularly watch or play esports, estimates suggest that the audience is in the hundreds of millions. For comparison, the Super Bowl – the biggest annual sporting event in the United States – had an audience of 103 million viewers in 2019.

The most popular esport in the world is League of Legends, a five-player online battle arena game that was first released in 2009. Other popular games include Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, and Fortnite.

The Growth of Esports

In recent years, esports has seen a surge in popularity, with more people than ever before tuning in to watch professional gamers compete. This growth is only set to continue, with the global esports market projected to be worth nearly $1.5 billion by 2023. So, just how popular is esports?

The Prize Pools

The prize pools for esports tournaments have grown exponentially in recent years. The total prize money awarded in 2016 was $112 million, which is more than double the amount given out in 2015. The largest prize pool ever recorded was for the 2017 Dota 2 International tournament, which had a total prize pool of over $24 million.

With such large sums of money up for grabs, it is no wonder that professional gamers are increasingly seen as legitimate athletes. In fact, many well-known traditional athletes are now investing in esports teams, including NBA star Magic Johnson and football player Mesut Özil.

The Audience

Much like traditional sports, the target demographic for esports is males aged 18-34. In fact, 97% of all esports fans are male, and the vast majority are under the age of 35.

This is likely due to the fact that most esports professionals are young. The average player in the Overwatch League is 22 years old, while the average Call of Duty player is just 19.

This youthful demographic is also extremely engaged. According to a report from Newzoo, 55% of all esports fans watch more than 3 hours of gaming content per week.

The Games

Esports is a form of competitive video gaming. The most popular esports games are multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), first-person shooters (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS), and fighting games. Esports also includes games from other genres, such as card games, sports games, and console games.

The Most Popular Games

The most popular games played in professional eSports are “multiplayer online battle arena” (MOBA) games. These include League of Legends, Defense of the Ancients 2 (DOTA 2), and Heroes of the Storm. Other popular genres include first-person shooter (FPS) games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Halo 5: Guardians, and Overwatch; and “real-time strategy” (RTS) games such as StarCraft II and Warcraft III.

The top three eSports games in terms of prize money are DOTA 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and League of Legends. As of March 2018, the largest single eSports prize pool was $34 million, awarded at The International 2017 DOTA 2 tournament.

The popularity of eSports has led to the development of professional leagues and organizations, similar to traditional professional sports leagues such as Major League Baseball or the National Basketball Association. These leagues typically feature regular season play, playoffs, and a championship tournament. The best teams and players from around the world compete in these events for prize money, sponsorship deals, and other rewards.

The Games With The Biggest Prize Pools

The prize pools for these tournaments can be absolutely massive, with some of the most popular games dwarfing even traditional sports in terms of prize money up for grabs. Here are some of the biggest prize pools in esports history:

The International – $34 million (2018)
This is an annual Dota 2 tournament hosted by Valve Corporation, the game’s developer. It is widely considered to be the most prestigious and most lucrative tournament in all of competitive Dota. The 2018 edition had a massive prize pool of over $34 million, making it the largest ever for an esports tournament.

Fortnite World Cup – $30 million (2019)
This was a one-time event held by Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite, to crown the best player or team in the world. Fortnite is one of the most popular games in the world right now, so it’s no surprise that its World Cup had a huge prize pool of $30 million.

League of Legends World Championship – $5 million (2017)
This is an annual tournament hosted by Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends. It is one of the oldest and most respected events in all of esports, and its 2017 edition had a prize pool of over $5 million.

The Players

Esports is a form of competition that is facilitated by electronic systems, particularly video games; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the esports system is mediated by human-computer interfaces.

The Professionals

The majority of professional gamers are in their 20s, and the top players can earn millions of dollars per year. The best players in the world tend to be from South Korea, Sweden, and the United States.

There are currently several professional esports leagues, including the Overwatch League, the League of Legends Championship Series, and the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Circuit. Professional gamers typically compete in teams of five or six players.

Competitive gaming has been growing in popularity for years, but it was only recently that it began to be considered a legitimate profession. Thanks to streaming services like Twitch and platforms like YouTube, professional gamers can now reach a wide audience of potential fans.

The Streamers

With the global pandemic raging on, many people have turned to online streaming services like Twitch and YouTube Gaming to watch their favorite gamers while they shelter in place. According to a recent report from stream-tracking site TwitchMetrics, the number of people watching esports has increased significantly over the last few months.

The most popular game on Twitch is still Fortnite, followed by League of Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone. However, there has been a significant increase in the number of people watching Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and Apex Legends.

The top 10 streamers by average viewers are:

1. shroud – 473,000
2. Tfue – 451,000
3. summit1g -434,000
4. TimTheTatman – 349,000
5. Myth – 337,000
6. DrLupo – 316,000
7. SypherPK – 306,000
8. Pokimane – 290,000
9. Ninja – 289,000
10. Lirik – 263,000

The Future of Esports

No longer is esports just a niche hobby. It has now officially broken into the mainstream and is only continuing to grow in popularity. But just how popular is esports? And what does the future hold for this rapidly growing industry? Let’s take a look.

The Growth of The Industry

The esports industry is growing rapidly. In 2019, the global esports economy was valued at $865 million, and it is expected to increase to $1.79 billion by 2022. The number of esports enthusiasts is also on the rise, with 382 million people worldwide predicted to be interested in the genre by 2020.

This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including increasing investment from traditional sports organizations, media companies, and brands. For example, ESPN now broadcasts esports competitions, while Coca-Cola has sponsored numerous teams and events.

There are also a number of dedicated esports organizations, such as ESL and Cloud9, which are helping to professionalize the industry. These organizations are investing in infrastructure, such as training facilities and tournaments, which is driving further interest in the genre.

It is clear that esports are here to stay and that their popularity is only going to continue to grow in the years to come.

The Mainstreaming of Esports

The future of esports is looking very bright. More and more people are becoming interested in competitive gaming, and the industry is growing at a rapid pace. While there are still some obstacles to overcome, such as getting more mainstream media coverage, it seems inevitable that esports will continue to grow in popularity.

There are several factors that contribute to the mainstreaming of esports. First, there is the increasing popularity of streaming services like Twitch and YouTube Gaming. These platforms give fans a way to watch their favorite players and teams compete, and they also make it easy for new viewers to discover esports.

Another factor is the increasing number of professional leagues and tournaments. These events provide a way for the best players in the world to compete against each other on a regular basis, and they also give fans something to root for. Additionally, many traditional sports organizations are starting to get involved with esports, which adds another level of legitimacy.

Finally, there is simply the fact that more people are becoming aware of esports. This is thanks in part to the growing popularity of streaming services and professional leagues, but it also has a lot to do with the fact that people are talking about esports more than ever before. Thanks to social media, word about competitive gaming is spreading faster than ever before.

The mainstreaming of esports is still in its early stages, but it’s clear that the future is looking very bright. With more people interested in watching and playing than ever before, it’s only a matter of time before esports becomes a household name.