Esports—professional competitive videogaming—is watched by over 20 million Americans, including 21% of male Millennials. That’s roughly the same percentage that watch professional baseball or hockey.
The average esports enthusiast is 26 years old and male. However, 29% of the audience is female and the sport’s reach extends to Gen Xers and Boomers, too.
Twitch, the largest live streaming video platform for esports, had more concurrent viewers in January than either CNN or MSNBC. Let that sink in for a minute—more viewers than well-known cable channels. Twitch’s viewership is growing at double digit rates. While most esports are watched online, key tournaments have sold out the Staples Center in Los Angeles and Madison Square Garden in New York.
The sports world is taking note. The Sacramento Kings have opened an esports facility and the Warriors sponsor an esports team. Traditional TV broadcasters including NBC have added esports to their schedules. The International Olympic Committee is even in talks about including esports to the Paris games in 2024.
Marketers are embracing esports. Nielsen has started measuring esports viewership and brand exposure. Companies as diverse as Red Bull, Arby’s and Geico market via esports sponsorships and ads.
Sources: Foley & Lardner 2018, Games Industry 2018, GlobalWebIndex 2018, Newzoo 2018, Nielsen 2018, Sports Illustrated 2017
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