75 Significant Esports Statistics: 2024 Market, Viewership & Investment Growth

Esports was once just a subset of the gaming industry. However, it eventually grew to become an industry of its own. Now, the esports industry has been seeing tremendous growth in the past years, both in revenue and viewership. While these two are largely interconnected, esports statistics show that it’s not only viewership that brings in revenue. Esports marketing and advertising have also joined the mix. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has also thrown in some interesting contributions that affected previous forecasts and brought about new trends. 

A good way to better understand how much the esports industry has grown is to look at vital esports facts and statistics. In this post, we bring together the significant numbers, data, and information relevant to the industry to help you realize its breadth and depth—which is necessary if you are looking into the possibility of getting into esports marketing for your small business.

General Esports Statistics

Esports is an industry in its infancy. However, its continuously growing revenue shows that it deserves to not only share the spotlight with the gaming industry but to have the stage for itself as well. Stakeholders, including players, viewers, and sponsors, realize this rise, which is expected to further stabilize once pandemic-related restrictions are lifted.

• The estimated value of the global esports industry in 2020 was $947.1 million. (Newzoo, 2021)
• In 2021, global esports revenues are expected to reach $1,084 million, representing a year-on-year growth of 14.5%. (Newzoo, 2021)
• Meanwhile, the global esports market combined with games streaming is expected to be worth $2.1 billion in 2021 and more than $3.5 billion by 2025. This represents a 70% growth in the next four years. (Juniper Research, 2021)
• It is also expected that in 2021, 75% of the total esports market revenue, which is around $833.6 million, will come from sponsorships and media rights. (Newzoo, 2021)
• The estimated US esports market size based on ad spending in 2020 was $196 million, which is $3 million lower than pre-pandemic estimates. (eMarketer, 2020)
• Meanwhile, global esports awareness in 2019 reached 1.8 billion people. This was projected to rise to 2 billion in 2020, 530.4 million of which are Chinese. (Newzoo, 2020)
• The live streaming audience, on the other hand, might reach 920.3 million in 2024. (Newzoo, 2021)
• Furthermore, the competitive gaming audience is projected to reach 577.2 million in 2024, representing a CAGR of 7.7%. (Newzoo, 2021)
• The top three drivers of esports growth in 2021 and beyond are 1) continued social distancing that boosts engagement with esports and video games (61%), 2) growth of online streaming platforms (61%), and 3) increased movement of big brands into esports sponsorships (52%). (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• The top five esports games based on the most prize money awarded are Dota 2 ($231,180,489.52), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ($110,688,306.47), Fortnite ($99,362,917.41), League of Legends ($82,056,088.16), and StarCraft II ($34,695,574.78). (Esports Earnings, 2021)

Industry Growth by Region

• The Asia Pacific region represents more than 50% of the esports and gaming audience. (Juniper Research, 2021)
• Meanwhile, Latin America may also become a key region for growth. It is projected to produce over 130 million esports and games streaming viewers by 2025. (Juniper Research, 2021)
• In all, emerging regions and markets are projected to maintain double-digit growth beginning 2021. This will also be driven by the popularity of mobile gaming in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Central Southern Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. (Newzoo, 2021)
• Together, countries in said regions will push the live streaming audience closer to 1 billion. (Newzoo, 2021)

China Takes the Lead

• China now has the largest esports and gaming community in the world. The country is estimated to have generated an esports revenue of $375 million in 2020. (SportsPro, 2020)
• Furthermore, the country will continue to hold a significant market share in the esports market due to the continued popularity of esports among the youth, as well as the government’s support for its growth. For instance, Hangzhou, a city in China, plans to build 14 esports facilities before 2022 and invest up to $2.22 billion. This investment could make it the esports capital of the world. (Mordor Intelligence, 2020)
• Additionally, it is home to the leading esports industry player Tencent Holdings Limited. The company generated gross revenues of $18.9 billion and $5.88 billion net profit as of Q3 2020. The company’s top-earning games include Honor of Kings, Peacekeeper Elite, PUBG Mobile, League of Legends, and Clash of Clans. (The Esports Observer, 2020)
• Moreover, China accounts for about 50% of the global mobile gaming revenues. (The Esports Observer, 2020)
• Notably, China’s gaming population is currently over 500 million. (SportsPro, 2020)
• 26% of the country’s internet users watch esports monthly. (SportsPro, 2020)

Global Esports Viewership Statistics

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily prevented people and organizations from hosting big gaming events, it did not completely stop the esports scene. Major competitions were still successfully held online and esports viewers did not let the industry down. Below are some of the crucial esports viewership statistics.

• Experts expect the global games’ live-streaming audience to reach 728.8 million this 2021, signifying a 10% growth compared to 2020. (Newzoo, 2021)
• By 2025, the number of esports and games viewers might finally hit the 1 billion mark. (Juniper Research, 2021)
• Interestingly, 50% of those projected 1 billion esports and games viewers will come from the Asia Pacific region. (Juniper Research, 2021)
• Meanwhile, experts predict that around 130 million esports and games viewers by 2025 will come from the Latin American region. (Juniper Research, 2021)
• Furthermore, the global esports audience, live streaming viewers excluded, could grow to 474 million in 2021. (Newzoo, 2021)
• Around half of the total global esports audience watch competitive esports gaming more than once a month. (Newzoo, 2021)
• In 2019, there were 198 million esports enthusiasts. This number grew to 223 million in 2020. (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2021)
• On the other hand, there were 245 million casual esports viewers in 2019. This grew to 272 million in 2020. (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2021)

Audience Demographics

• 32% of internet users who watch esports tournaments worldwide are between the ages of 16 and 24. Meanwhile, 30% are 25 to 34 years old, 19% are 35 to 44 years old, 10% are 45 to 54 years old, and only 6% are from the 55 to 64 age bracket. (GlobalWebIndex, 2019)
• Unsurprisingly, 72% of US esports fans are male. (IDC, 2020)
• In 2019, the global average share of female esports fans was 22%. (Newzoo, 2020)
• Moreover, the median age for US esports viewers is 29 years. (Gaming Street, 2020)
• Globally, the median age of esports fans is 32 years. (IDC, 2020)
• 59% of people in the US aged 18 to 34 are aware of esports. Meanwhile, 55% of people aged 35 to 54 say they have heard about esports. (Vorhaus Advisors, 2019)

Viewership Time Spending

• Audiences have collectively watched 7.46 billion hours of esports and games live streaming content in Q3 2020, representing a 91.8% increase compared to Q3 2019. (Streamlabs, 2020)
• Interestingly, YouTube Gaming had the most growth in watch hours—156 million hours more in Q3 2020 compared to Q2 2020. (Streamlabs, 2020)
• In the same period, Facebook Gaming exceeded 1 billion watch hours for the first time. (Streamlabs, 2020)
• At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Verizon observed a 75% increase in video game internet traffic during peak hours. (Foley & Lardner, 2020)

Esports Players and Platforms Statistics

The explosive growth of esports will not be possible if not for the number of gamers who continue to invite, awe, and inspire audiences. Moreover, we have esports and live streaming platforms to thank for making watching esports events and games easier and more convenient. Below, we list esports player statistics, including esports player demographics and platform growth.

• $6,974,737.80 – the total overall earnings of the leading esports player, Johan Sundstein (N0tail), as of March 2021. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• Additionally, Johan Sundstein (N0tail) also took home the highest single-game earnings recorded: $6,963,011.58. This is 99.83% of his total earnings. He won this in a Dota 2 tournament. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• $393,528.19 – the total overall earnings of the leading female esports player, Sasha Hostyn (Scarlett), as of March 2021. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• Meanwhile, the median earnings per esports competition player in 2020 was $615.23 (Esports Earnings, 2020)
• Men and women now play games equally. (The Game Haus, 2020)
• The most active esports competition players in 2020 (4,334) are from the US. (Esports Earnings, 2020)
• Furthermore, US esports players have also collectively generated the highest esports earnings: $161,703,105.43. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• Moreover, the top five esports teams worldwide based on total earnings are Natus Vincere ($740,569.30), Nova eSports ($700,000.00), Gambit Esports ($467,310.00), Pittsburgh Knights ($404,000.00), and Team Liquid ($346,305.00). (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• The majority of the esports audience and players are Millennials. (Mordor Intelligence, 2020)
• The highest esports earners are 24-year-olds, who together generated around $49,721,728.81 as of March 2021. (Esports Earnings, 2021)
• Interestingly, most esports players retire at the age of 25. (TNL, 2020)

Esports Streaming Platform Statistics

• As of August 2020, the top live streaming platforms in terms of the number of hours watched are Twitch (1.6 billion hours), YouTube (517 million hours), and Facebook Gaming (280 million hours). (Stream Hatchet, 2020)
• After Mixer shut down, the majority of its streamers switched to Twitch, bringing with them their fans. Before its shut down, Mixer took 14.2% of all content live-streamed in Q2 2020. (Streamlabs, 2020)
• As of the latest data, 26.5 million visitors come to Twitch daily. (TwitchTracker, n.d.)
• Additionally, current streaming statistics show that Twitch controls around 72.2% share of the game live streaming market. (StreamElements)
• Unsurprisingly, Twitch reported a year-over-year rise of 56% in viewership. (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• However, despite Twitch maintaining its lead, it saw a 2.9% drop in viewership in July 2020. (Stream Hatchet, 2020)
• On the other hand, YouTube saw an increase of 5.9% more hours watched. (Stream Hatchet, 2020)
• Moreover, in Europe, the most frequently used online platforms for watching esports are YouTube Gaming (85%), Facebook Gaming (37%), Twitch (36%), game and tournament websites (21%), and Mixer (9%). (Deloitte Insights, 2020)
• Meanwhile, Canadians most often turned to sports broadcaster websites (28%), YouTube Gaming (23%), Twitch (16%), Facebook Live (15%), and Dailymotion Games (4%). (Vivintel, 2019)
• As expected, Chinese esports fans use different platforms. 79.1% use iQiyi, Tencent Video, and Youku, while 12% use Mango TV and Bilibili. (Eastmoney.com, 2020)
• Moreover, the most frequently used devices for watching esports in Europe are laptops (56%), mobile phones (52%), TVs (40%), desktop PCs (36%), and tablets (31%). (Deloitte Insights, 2020)
• On the other hand, 65% of Canadians use a laptop or desktop when streaming esports. The other devices they use for esports streaming are TV (55%), smartphones (53%), tablets (35%), and game consoles (17%). (Vividata, 2019)

Esports Investments, Marketing, and Advertising Statistics

The continuous growth of the esports industry is largely attributed to investments, which include sponsorships and advertising. These are also the primary sources of income for most of the leading esports players and teams. The esports investment statistics below will further show the vastness of this emerging industry.

• In 2019, the North American esports market was dominated by prize pools (38%), followed by over-the-top (OTT) advertising (22%), direct brand sponsorship (21%), media (17%), and tickets and merchandise (2%). (Canaccord Genuity, 2019)
• However, globally, the 2020 esports market revenue was composed mainly of sponsorships, which generated around $584 million. The other revenue generators were media rights ($163.3 million), publisher fees ($108.9 million), tickets and merchandise ($52.5 million), digital sales ($21.5 million), and streaming ($19.9 million). (Newzoo, 2020)
• Furthermore, in 2019, the industries that recorded the most esports sponsorship spending are consumer goods ($21.8 million), technology ($15.9 million), clothing ($13.35 million), beverage ($4.75 million), and financial services ($4.65 million). (Consultancy.uk, 2019)
• 73% of stakeholders believe the pandemic will generate more investment and deal activity in esports. (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• Meanwhile, 49% expect traditional professional sports teams, athletes, and celebrities to increase their investment in esports in 2021 (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• Additionally, 40% expect increased investment from venture capital and private equity firms (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• Ultimately, global sponsorship and advertising spending could reach $634.03 million by 2023. (Canaccord Genuity, 2019)

Growth Barriers to Esports

While the esports industry shows great promise, it is not without challenges. Aside from the threats associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are other crucial esports industry growth barriers that stakeholders and investors should take note of.

• Surprisingly, a survey found that 81% of US respondents are not a fan of esports at all. Only 5% saw themselves as avid fans while 14% are casual fans. (Morning Consult, 2020)
• Furthermore, another report showed that only 4% of US adults are very interested to learn about esports. The majority (46%) are only somewhat interested and 32% are not at all interested. (Vorhaus Advisors, 2019)
• Meanwhile, 75% of stakeholders think that match-fixing and cheating are a significant threat to the legitimacy and growth of esports. (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• Moreover, 60% see the control exerted by a select group of game developers as a barrier to esports growth. (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• In all, 77% of stakeholders who expect decreased esports investments cite the inability to hold large in-person events as the primary esports growth barrier. Respondents also identified the following as threats: continued declines in advertising and sponsorship spending (65%), hesitancy to invest in esports teams due to continued market uncertainty (46%), and difficulty obtaining additional capital from current sponsors (31%). (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• In general, 21% of stakeholders believe that the pandemic will cause a decrease in esports investment and deal activity. (Foley & Lardner, 2020)
• Finally, 60% think it will take at least a year for esports investment activity to return to pre-pandemic levels. (Foley & Lardner, 2020)

What’s Ahead for the Esports Industry?

Despite the challenges faced by this emerging industry, the esports market is bound to continuously grow. It’s not surprising to see more esports games on the market, especially as publishers are likely to target the young adult audience more aggressively. Furthermore, the increasing number of active streamers and viewers will naturally encourage more advertisers and sponsors to invest. 

At its current rate, it’s not impossible for esports to surpass current market estimates in terms of overall revenue, viewership, and investments. It’s interesting, though, to see how it will eventually play with the gaming industry—will it continue to outgrow its parent industry or go back to being a significant sub-category? Indeed, regardless of the path it will ultimately take, the esports industry is one to keep an eye on.

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By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.