Summary
Poised to become a real social phenomenon, eSports is an emerging market whose current limited revenue is growing fast, and could reach €3 billion by 2021 – or 4% of the video game market. This figure is forecast to climb to €10.5 billion in 2030, thanks to an average annual growth rate of 37.6%. Meanwhile, eSports audience figures are set to skyrocket from the current 240 million to 410 million by 2021.
This report delivers an analysis of what is both an offshoot of the video game market and a very different animal, targeting an increasingly large and diverse public. So different in fact that the most innovative publishers are embracing changing consumption patterns and user experiences, and seriously exploring a permanent shift in their strategy to accommodate this new phenomenon. This is also true of a number of players along the value chain (internet giants, TV channels…) working to better grasp the current and future direction this new market will take and, for the most forward-looking among them, to being already to stake out their claim.
Table of contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Emergence of a new market
2.1. Market segmentation and survey of major stakeholders
2.1.1. The video games sphere: the power of rights holders
2.1.2. The tournaments sphere: a new era of professionalisation
2.1.3. The distribution sphere: attracting massive audiences
2.1.4. The betting and gambling sphere: from opportunity to opportunism
2.2. Current market and outlook
2.2.1. Key metrics for e-sports competitions
2.2.2. Practices and profile of e-sports players
2.2.3. The market potential for e-sports
2.2.4. World market forecasts from 2017 to 2021
3. Key issues, industry challenges and market prospects
3.1. Key issues for e-sports ecosystem stakeholders
3.1.1. Key issues for game developers: creating a stable and sustainable revenue model
3.1.2. Key issues for publishers: capturing value all along the value chain
3.1.3. Key issues for broadcasters: capturing an audience, particularly millennials
3.1.4. Key issues for tournament organisers: will we see a Live Nation for e-sports?
3.1.5. Key issues for franchises and gamers: the pursuit of professionalism
3.1.6. Key issues for gambling sites: from opportunism to inevitable regulation
3.2. The 10 challenges the e-sports sector must rise to in the short/medium term to facilitate its growth
3.2.1. Expanding the e-sports audience base to the general public
3.2.2. Understanding digital natives
3.2.3. Turning teams and gamers into stars
3.2.4. Developing technologies along the value chain
3.2.5. Developing and protecting national, international and independent federations
3.2.6. Structuring and professionalising the gamer segment
3.2.7. Building a structure for amateur e-sports
3.2.8. Developing an e-sports industry strategy
3.2.9. Establishing laws for “e-sports gambling”
3.2.10. Making e-sports an Olympic sport
List of tables and figures
Tables
Table 1: Top 10 franchises by winnings in 2016
Table 2: E-sports tournament organisers
Table 3: Online tournament platforms
Table 4: E-sports service providers
Table 5: Major streaming players
Table 6: Top e-sports games
Table 7: Key metrics for online and offline e-sports tournaments, February 2017
Table 8: Top 20 countries by earnings value, 2016
Table 9: E-sports audience
Table 10: Global e-sports revenues by segment, 2017-2021
Table 11: Global e-sports sponsorship and online advertising revenues, 2017-2021
Table 12: Global e-sports sponsorship revenues, 2017-2021
Table 13: Global e-sports revenues by continent, 2017-2021
Table 14: Global e-sports audience by continent (millions)
Figures
Figure 1: The e-sports ecosystem
Figure 2: The major video game industry stakeholders
Figure 3: The major stakeholders in the tournament sphere
Figure 4: Features of the Toornament platform
Figure 5: The major stakeholders in the distribution sphere
Figure 6: E-sports broadcaster audience share
Figure 7: E-sports hours and total hours watched on Twitch
Figure 8: Top e-sports games in total hours watched and e-sports hours watched
Figure 9: Global consumption of e-sports video content by type of platform, 2011-2017
Figure 10: E-sports audiences by platform, 2016
Figure 11: Global audiences for the major e-sports events in 2017
Figure 12: Major e-sports sponsors
Figure 13: Gaming habits of e-sport fans
Figure 14: The major stakeholders in the betting and gambling sphere
Figure 15: Number of fantasy league users
Figure 16: Real money gambling habits of e-sports viewers/enthusiasts/gamers
Figure 17: Estimates for the e-sports gambling market
Figure 18: E-sports games market share by bets placed
Figure 19: Top e-sports games by hours watched, May 2017
Figure 20: Top e-sports games by millions of gamers per day, June 2015
Figure2 1: Growth in the prize pool for the Dota 2 tournament The International
Figure 22: Prize money comparison between traditional sports tournaments and e-sports tournaments
Figure 23: Number of e-sports tournaments, 1998-2016
Figure 24: Number of e-sports tournaments per month throughout the year, 2010-2016
Figure 25: Number of players registered for e-sports tournaments, 1998-2016
Figure 26: Prize money pledged and awarded in e-sports tournaments, 1998-2016
Figure 27: Average prize money awarded (in cash) per tournament in e-sports competitions, 1998-2016
Figure 28: Average earnings per player (1998-2016)
Figure 29: Comparison of gamers and e-sports fans
Figure 30: E-sports revenues by segment, 2016
Figure 31: E-sports revenues by geographic region, 2016
Figure 32: E-sports revenue growth worldwide, 2017-2021
Figure 33: Breakdown of e-sports revenues in 2017
Figure 34: Breakdown of e-sports revenues in 2021
Figure 35: Global e-sports sponsorship and advertising revenues, 2017-2021
Figure 36: Global e-sports sponsorship revenues, 2017-2021
Figure 37: Breakdown of global e-sports revenues by continent in 2017
Figure 38: Breakdown of global e-sports revenues by continent in 2021
Figure 39: Breakdown of the global e-sports audience by continent, 2017 & 2021
Geographic area
Players
- 10bet
- 188bet
- Acer
- Activision Blizzard
- Adidas
- Afreeca
- Alienware
- AlphaDraft
- Apple
- Arena Online
- Astro Gaming
- Asus
- AT&T
- Azubu/Hitbox/Smashcast
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Battle.net
- BattleFy
- Battleriff
- Bell
- bet365
- Betclic
- Betway
- Bitskins
- Canal+
- Capcom
- Century Fox
- CEVO
- Champion.gg
- Cloud9
- Coca Cola
- CSGOLounge
- CSGOShop
- CW
- Datbet
- Daybreak Games Company
- Disney XD
- Dojo Madness
- Dolby
- Domino’s
- Dotalounge
- Douyu
- Draft Kings
- Dreamhack
- DXRacer
- eLeague
- Electronic Arts
- Epic Games
- ESEA
- ESL Fantasy
- ESL Gaming
- ESP
- ESPN
- e-sport bets
- e-sports Championship Series
- ESWC
- Evil Geniuses
- Evo
- Faceit
- Fantasy Esports
- Fantasy LCS
- Fnatic
- Ford
- Fox
- Game One
- Gamebattles
- GamerSaloon
- GameWisp
- Gamoloco
- Gfinity
- Gillette
- Hi-Rez Studios
- Hisense
- Hyundai
- Intel
- Invictus Gaming
- ITV
- Kickback
- League Coaching
- League of Legends - Championship Series (LCS)
- Leet.gg
- Legendary
- Legends.gg
- LGD Gaming
- Lightstream
- Logitech
- Maestro.io
- Major League Gaming
- Microsoft Studios
- MLG
- Moba Fire
- Natus Vincere
- NCSoft
- Newbee
- nitrogenSports
- OPSkins
- Orange
- Origin
- Overwolf
- Pandascore
- PinnacleSports
- PokerStars
- ProBuilds
- Psyonix
- PVPro
- Pwn Win
- RedBull
- Riot Games / Tencent
- Scuf Gaming
- Seenheiser
- SK Telecom T1
- Skill.gg
- Skillz Toornament
- Sky
- Skybet
- StageTen
- Steam
- Stream Hatchet
- Streamtip
- Super Evil Megacorp
- Supercell / Tencent
- TBS
- Team Liquid
- Team OG
- Team Random
- Tencent
- TF1
- T-Mobile
- Turtle Beach
- TV2
- Twitch
- Uber
- Ubisoft
- UMG
- Unikrn
- Uplay
- Valve Software
- Valve Software
- Vici Gaming
- Video Gamer Coach
- Virtus.pro
- VISA
- Vodafone
- Walmart
- Wargaming
- Warner Bros. Interactive Enter.
- Webedia
- William Hill
- World Gaming
- Xfinity
- YouTube Gaming
Slideshow
Other details
- Reference: M17260MRA
- Delivery: on the DigiWorld Interactive platform
- Languages available: French, English
- Tags: electronic sports, e-sports, video games
