SuperData: eSports viewership reaches 31.4m in US, 70m worldwide

Reserach group SuperData has released a new brief on eSports viewership, revealing rapid growth within the medium.

According to the brief, over 70m individuals tuned in worldwide – with 31.4m coming from the US alone. SuperData reports worldwide viewership has doubled in the last year.

eSports are a rapidly growing industry with viewership increasing almost eight-fold in the last four years, according to our estimates and those of our pals Newzoo,” the research group wrote. This global surge is particularly fueled by the ongoing explosive uptake in Western markets.”

We estimate the total viewership of eSports to have surpassed 70 million in 2013, doubling year-over-year. Almost half of those viewers, 31.4 million, come from the United States where males account for 70% of frequent viewers and participants.”

SuperData noted prize pools have significantly increased as well from year to year. Prize totals reached $25m last year, with the largest pool courtesy of Valve’s The International 2013 tournament at $2.87m.