How Big is the World of eSports?

Whether you’re a hardcore player or an occasional gamer, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about eSports. Competitive gaming has gotten so big in the past decade that a lot of people turned gaming skills into lucrative professions.

Not only can you participate in gaming tournaments and have a chance to earn millions, but you can also bet on them, and NJ Games could tell you where to do so.

The reason why eSports became such a profitable profession is that a lot of people show interest in watching them. Gaming events were watched by over 330 million people in 2017, and some predictions state that this number will rise to half a billion in 2021.

Just like with traditional sports, more and more viewers are not gamers themselves, but only prefer to be spectators. Naturally, the majority of eSports followers fall into the millennial demographic, although around 28% of the audience is over 36 years old.

Investments, sponsorships, advertisement, tickets, and licensing bring revenue of close to billion dollars annually. Game publisher fees and media rights alone totaled almost $300 million in 2018.

The birth of live streaming platforms was the reason why eSports got so popular in the first place, and they are still the most popular form of media for watching people play. Platforms like Twitch gather over 50 million users that play different games.

Some of the most popular eSports games include League of Legends, Counter-Strike Global Offensive, Dota 2, HearthStone, Starcraft II, and Overwatch.

All of this turned professional gamers into superstars. For example, a famous Japanese Dota 2 gamer Kuro Takhasomi (aka KuroKy) already has career earnings of over $4 million. Close behind are two other Dota 2 players, Johan Sundstein (N0tail), and Amer Al-Barkawi (Miracle-), who have earned over $3.6 million each.

The business world has recognized the popularity of this new sport, and some of the biggest brands are looking to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the following years.

Check out the detailed eSports infographic below and see the numbers for yourself.