According to researchers, the global esports audience will reach at least 380 million this year with esports ‘enthusiasts’ (people who watch more than once a month) totaling 165 million while occasional viewers rise to 215 million. To give some perspective, Super Bowl LI was watched by 111 million fans as the League of Legends Worlds reached a record-breaking viewership of 360 million viewers.
As stated by a Twitch representative, the appeal of esports and game livestreaming is just like any other type of hobby, sport, or skill: people enjoy watching others who are good at what they do. That being said, for brands looking to advertise in the space, it’s important to understand who you’d be connecting with and why they’re worth paying attention to.
TOP ESPORTS AUDIENCE INSIGHTS
Fans are dedicated and highly engaged
Most fans average 100 minutes per spectating session on platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming. However, interestingly enough, only about half of frequent viewers actually play the game they watch. The industry’s emphasis on community also leads to 60% of esports fans being willing to travel to see their favorite games played live by popular players at events and tournaments.
Esports fans are primarily young, digitally native males from diverse backgrounds
Seven out of ten esports fans are males that range from 18 to 34 years of age with Nielsen reporting that the average age of an esports fan is 26 years old. Because the esports industry is relatively young and primarily takes place online, most esports fans are young, early tech adopters, active on social media channels like Twitter and YouTube, and grew up online or with heavy tech-related interests (video games, media, computers, mobile apps, and IoT).
In fact, it’s reported by Newzoo that among “American male millennials (age 21 to 35), esports is just as popular as baseball or ice hockey, with 22% watching it.” Continuing to say, “in North America, the most popular sport in the region, football, is only 2x as popular as esports among male millennials. For male viewers between the ages of 36 and 50, football is only 3x as popular.”
These audience insights also validate that esports fans have a variety of interests beyond gaming and are not the stereotyped ‘gamer persona’ that lives in Mom’s basement, but are average, middle-class working Americans. It’s safe to say that most esports fans are just as engaged with the online gaming culture as they are with traditional sports leagues. As mentioned earlier, this overlap has led to substantial investments from the top sports business investors like Mark Cuban, Shaquille O’Neal, and Magic Johnson.
But we would be remiss not to plug that despite the prominent 7/10 audience statistic, roughly 38% of the esports and livestreaming audience are females; enabling a unique opportunity for brands to reach engaged, young women online just as they would males.
Fans are Working Professionals with Spending Power
IAB found that roughly 43% of esports enthusiasts have an annual household income of $75k with just under one third (31%) reporting an income of $90k or higher. This spending power can be validated through staggering attendance numbers as event passes can amount to a few hundred dollars but have been known to sell out in a matter of minutes.
Another influential figure that supports this claim is the popularity of fans frequently donating to streamers through Twitch. Because fans can financially support their favorite livestreams, donations and tips are quite common. Fans’ willingness to financially support an entertainment medium that’s already free demonstrates the spending power of esports fans and their willingness to invest in their favorite players. In the end, many streamers earn a few hundred to thousands of dollars a day in just donations and tips.
Esports fans are scattered across regions, countries, and timezones
In the past, most people assumed the majority of fans were located in Asia, but in fact, only 51% of esports enthusiasts are located in the APAC region. While still a large percentage, North America and Europe are prominent places in the global esports and gaming ecosystem.
Because tournaments and events are hosted across a variety of time zones, the success of the esports industry truly relies on digital platforms to remain accessible to fans. Livestreaming is huge, and these days it seems like you can’t talk about esports and gaming without touching on the influence of platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Mixer, all owned by Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, respectively.
It’s also important to note that the multi-million dollar investments of digital titans into livestreaming technology further proves that esports are here to stay. Like any potential partner, understanding the nuances of the popular platforms like Twitch will allow marketers to best use them to their brand’s advantage.
WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO WATCH ESPORTS?
“THAT’S LIKE SAYING TO A CHEF, ‘WHY ARE YOU WATCHING THE FOOD NETWORK? SHOULDN’T YOU BE IN THE KITCHEN, COOKING?’ OR TO AN ATHLETE, ‘WHY ARE YOU WATCHING ESPN? SHOULDN’T YOU BE OUT SHOOTING HOOPS?’ NO. PEOPLE ENJOY WATCHING OTHERS WHO ARE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.” — TWITCH
“ESPORTS IS AT THE “INTERSECTION OF TECH AND ENTERTAINMENT. IT REALLY ALSO GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THAT YOUNG AND DIVERSE AUDIENCE.” — SHIZ SUZUKI
(ASSISTANT VP FOR AT&T CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS)
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