Global eSports market worth $612m

The global eSports market is generating revenues of $612m, according to a new report from SuperData.

A breakdown of the global market by regions shows that competitive gaming is most popular in Asia, especially in South Korea and China, where the sector is worth $374m. Compared to a value of $143m in North America, $72m for Europe and $24m in the rest of the world, this puts the Asian market at a higher value than all the other regions combined.

Overall, competitive gaming reaches 134m spectators around the world.

According to the report, 13 per cent of live-stream viewers watch eSports. Almost half of eSports spectators in the US are thought to use broadcasting service Twitch, while 50 per cent of viewers are also said to participate in some form of competitive gaming themselves.

A breakdown of the revenue generated by eSports enthusiasts in North America shows that 81 per cent of the money they make is generated from corporate sponsorships, totalling some $111.1m. This compares to prize pool contributions of $11.8m, merchandise totalling $11m and ticket sales of $4.5m.

“North America and Europe have recently seen a tremendous rise in the number of people who watch eSports online and attend real-life tournaments,” read the report.

“Popular digital game titles like DotA 2 and League of Legends enjoy a massive audience that regularly watches or participates in competitions. The emergence of competitive gaming presents publishers with a great new avenue to extend the user experience and allows brands to engage a generation of consumers that spend little time with traditional forms of entertainment.”

—

For all the news straight to your inbox, sign up to the Develop Daily.