The Global eSports revenue will reach $905 million in 2018, a year over year growth of 38.2% according to a new report published by Newzoo, the leading provider of market intelligence covering global games, eSports and mobile markets. For those who need to catch up with recent electronic sport here are some useful bits of terminology, statistics and predictions.
Esports is competitive video gaming at a professional level and in an organized format (a tournament or league) with specific goal (i.e., winning a champion title or prize money) and a clear distinction between players and teams that are competing against each other. The eSports Audience is all people who watch professional eSports independent of how often: Esports Enthusiasts (people who watch professional eSports content more than once a month) and Occasional Viewers (people who watch professional eSports content less than once a month.
The total prize money of all eSports events held in 2017 reached $112 million, breaking the $100 million mark for the first year. In 2018 eSports Enthusiasts will total 165 million, a year-on-year growth of 15.2% and 215 million of Occasional Viewers what makes 380 million participants worldwide, a year-on-year growth of 13.5%. The global average annual ticket revenue per eSports enthusiast will be $5.49 this year, up by 20% from 4.58 in 2017. In 2017, there were 588 major eSports events that generated and estimated $59 million in ticket revenue, up from $32 million in 2016.
Although 380 million people actively participate in eSports the global awareness of it is much broader. The number of people who hear about it but are not participants in 2017 was almost a billion worldwide.
The majority of $905 million of revenue from eSports that is expected at the end of 2018, 77% will be generated directly from sponsorship and advertising and indirectly from media rights and content licenses. Brands are expected to heavily invest in the eSports industry. They will pour $694 million to the end of 2018, an impressive 48% increase since last year.
