Who Watches Esports? And Why?

Esports is a relatively new phenomenon that has been growing in popularity. But who are the people that watch esports, and why?

The Esports Audience

According to a report by Newzoo, the global esports economy will reach $1.1 billion in 2019. This rapidly growing industry is attracting all kinds of viewers, from the hardcore gamers to the more casual fans. But who are these viewers and why do they watch esports?

The Average Esports Viewer

This is a description of the average esports viewer, based on research by Newzoo.

The average esports viewer is male, aged 21-35, and most often lives in Asia-Pacific or North America. He is highly educated, with a college degree or higher, and has a full-time job. He is also more likely to identify as gay/lesbian, bisexual, or transgender than the average person.

This viewer is highly engaged with gaming and esports, spending an average of 6 hours per week watching esports content. He is also more likely to be a super fan of specific games or teams, and to follow multiple esports titles.

The hardcore Esports Viewer

The hardcore Esports Viewer is someone who watches multiple hours of gaming content every day, across multiple platforms. They might have a favourite game or genre, but they’re open to watching anything that’s entertaining. This includes live-streams of professionals playing the game, as well as highlight reels and other produced gaming content.

The hardcore Esports Viewer is usually male, aged 18-34. They’re likely to be highly engaged with the gaming community and up-to-date with the latest gaming news and trends.

Why do they watch?
The hardcore Esports Viewer is primarily motivated by entertainment. They want to be entertained and they enjoy watching other people play games.

They’re also highly engaged with the gaming community and see watching Esports as a way to support the games and players they love. Often, they’ll have favourites who they’ll follow throughout their careers.

What do they watch?
The hardcore Esports Viewer watches a variety of content across multiple platforms. They’re not just limited to live-streams of professional gamers, but will also watch highlight reels, produced shows and anything else that’s entertaining.

How do you reach them?
To reach the hardcore Esports Viewer, you need to create entertaining content that caters to their interests. This can be anything from live-streams of professional gamers playing the latest games, to highlight reels of the best plays from last night’s match, to educational videos on how to improve your own gameplay.

Why People Watch Esports

Though at first many people were confused by the concept of people playing video games as a profession, the rise of esports has been meteoric. By 2020, it is estimated that there will be around half a billion regular viewers of professional gaming tournaments (Newzoo, 2019). So, who are these people that watch esports, and why do they do it?

For the love of the game

Though there are many reasons people might tune in to watch esports, the most commonly cited one is simply because they enjoy watching the game being played at a high level. Professional gamers have practiced for countless hours to get where they are, and their knowledge of the game shines through in their plays.

Just like with traditional sports, there are a lot of spectators who appreciate the skill and dedication that goes into becoming a professional esports athlete. These fans tune in to watch the best of the best compete and see how they stack up against one another.

To support a team or player

Many people who watch esports do so because they want to support their favorite team or player. For example, fans of the game League of Legends might watch professional matches to see their favorite team, such as TSM or Cloud9, compete. Or, they might watch to see a particular player show off his or her skills. Just like traditional sports, people can develop strong attachments to esports teams and players and enjoy watching them compete.

For the entertainment

Many people watch sports because they enjoy the competition and the entertainment value. The same is true for esports. In fact, a recent study found that 61% of people who watch esports do so because they find it entertaining.

Esports also offer something that traditional sports don’t: the opportunity to interact with players and teams. Social media platforms like Twitch and YouTube allow viewers to chat with each other and the players during live broadcasts. This makes esports much more interactive than traditional sports, which can be a big draw for some viewers.

The Different Types of Esports

Esports, also known as electronic sports, competitive (video) gaming, or pro gaming, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams.

Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)

MOBAs are possibly the most popular genre of esports games. They typically involve two teams of players fighting each other in an online arena, with each team trying to destroy the other team’s base. The most popular MOBA games includeLeague of Legends, Dota 2 and Heroes of the Storm.

MOBAs often have a large following of dedicated fans, and many of them tune in to watch live tournaments and matches played by professional gamers. The top MOBA tournaments can prize pools that run into millions of dollars, making them some of the most lucrative competitions in the world of esports gaming.

First-person shooter (FPS)

FPS games have existed since the early days of gaming and continue to be some of the most popular today. They are characterized by a first-person perspective – i.e. the game is seen through the eyes of the player’s character – and often feature gunplay. Some of the most popular FPS games in esports are Overwatch, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Halo and Call of Duty.

Battle royale

Battle royale games are a subgenre of shooter games that involve surviving against other opponents in an arena until only one player or team is left standing. The last-player-standing format has been popularized by games like Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex Legends.

The Future of Esports

Esports has been around for quite some time now and has been steadily growing in popularity. But who watches esports? And why? In this article, we’ll take a look at the demographics of esports viewers and try to answer these questions.

Growth of the industry

The report highlights that the global esports economy will grow to $696 million in 2017, an increase of 41.3% since 2016. This is primarily due to more companies investing in the industry, with investments increasing from $493 million to $696 million. The total global esports audience will reach 385 million people in 2017, up 43 million since last year.

Increased investment

The esports industry is rapidly growing, with new tournaments, leagues, and game releases popping up constantly. This growth is largely due to increased investment from game publishers, media companies, and traditional sports organizations.

Recent spate of investment in the industry shows that these groups are bullish on the esports industry’s future. In the past year alone, we’ve seen ESPN launch an entire esports section on its website, TNT broadcast the finals of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s ELeague Major tournament, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver express his interest in NBA teams owning their own esports franchises.

These developments indicate that esports is no longer a niche hobby; it’s quickly becoming a mainstream form of entertainment. And as the industry continues to grow, we can expect to see even more investment from traditional sports groups and media companies.