The player Lil Poison was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest professional video game player
Esports Gaming Statistics 2021
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Last Updated: November, 9th, 2021
The esports gaming industry has been on an upward trajectory for some time now, showing impressive year-on-year growth and reaching a combined global audience of 495 million people in 2020. The industry’s growth was slowed somewhat in 2020 due to the global coronavirus pandemic putting a halt on many live events across the globe. The global esports market revenue has been predicted to hit $1.1 billion in 2020, but ultimately fell just short of this, bringing in $1.06 Billion instead.
Esports prize pools continue to rise though, with Fortnite offering the biggest 2020 prize pool with a combined prize pool of $10.3 million. The top ten esports tournaments offered a combined prize pool of $177 million in 2019 – so it is clearly still a huge and growing industry to be involved in.
Market Value 2020
Value by Revenue Source
Top Team Earnings
Prize Pool
The esports worldwide audience totalled over
0
million
in 2020
The esports worldwide audience totalled over 495 million in 2020
Statista, 2020
the worldwide esports market revenue was worth
$
0
Billion
in 2020
In 2020, the worldwide esports market revenue was worth $1.06 Billion
Statista, 2020
The League of Legends World Championship Finals reached a record-breaking
0
Million
Average Minute Audience (AMA) in 2019
The League of Legends World Championship Finals reached a record-breaking 21.8 million Average Minute Audience
Riot Games, 2019
Fortnite had the biggest esports prize pool in the first half of 2020
$
0
Million
Fortnite had the biggest esports prize pool in the first half of 2020 of $10.2 million
Esports Observer, 2020
The Top 10 esports tournament prize pool totalled
$
0
Million
as of November 2019
The Top 10 esports tournament prize pool totalled $177 million as of November 2019
GoldenCasinoNews, 2019
Global esports revenues will grow to
$
0
Billion
in 2020
Global esports revenues will grow to $1.1 billion in 2020
Strive Sponsorship, 2020
Overview
Esports has moved on from being a niche industry that brought in a few thousand viewers for the biggest tournaments. Now, the worldwide esports audience totals over 495 million people, and is only expected to increase. One event, the Leage of Legends World Championship Finals, managed to pull in a record-breaking 21.8 million average minute audience when it aired in 2019.
Sources:Statista, Riot Games
2018 Update
19% of U.S. gamers said they watch eSports live streams regularly, 19% said they watch it occasionally, and 9% of them said they watch it rarely. (Statista, 2017)
2020 Update
- On its current trajectory, the esports market is estimated to reach $1.8billion in revenue by 2022
NewZoo, 2019
2020 Update
- Esports total revenues increased 71.2% between 2016 & 2018. Expected figures suggest a further growth of 27.4% by 2021.
WeForum, 2018
2018 Update
- 85% of eSports viewers in the U.S. in 2017 are male, while 15% are female. (SuperData Research, 2017)
2018 Update
- 12% of eSports fans in the United States are black while Hispanics accounted 17% of the eSports fans. (Magid Associates, 2016)
2018 Update
- The Whites accounted the most eSports fans in the U.S, covering 65% of the fans in the U.S.. (Magid Associates, 2016)
2018 Update
- By 2020, it is expected that an average eSports fans will spend 5.2 U.S. dollars on eSports content, up from the estimated 3.64 U.S. dollars per eSports fans in 2017.
2018 Update
- 24% of female around the world spend less than an hour daily watching eSports while 65% of them spend an average of 1-4 hours daily, and only 12% spend more than 5 hours daily. (Research Now, 2017)
2018 Update
- 17% of U.S. gamers said they regularly watch eSports videos regularly, 22% said they watch it occasionally, and 10% of them said they watch it rarely. (Statista, 2017)
2018 Update
- Chasing The Cup: Injustice 2 on CW is the most viewed eSports related program on television in the U.S., accounting 405 thousand viewers in 2017. (TNL Media, 2017)
2018 Update
- H1Z1 Fight for the Crown is the second most viewed eSports related prgrams on televisionon in the U.S., with 378 thousand viewers in 2017. (TNL Media, 2017)
2018 Update
- North America took the second largest share of the worldwide eSports market revenue in 2017, covering 34% of the shares. (Medium, 2017)
2018 Update
- Western Europe accounted 29% of the generated revenue from major eSports events ticket globally. (Newzoo, 2017)
2018 Update
- Europe covered the third largest share of the worldwide eSports market revenue in 2017, taking up 26% of the shares. (Medium, 2017)
2018 Update
- In 2017, the annual combined eSports prize pools around the world reached 121.1 million. (Various sources (investmentbank.com), 2018)
2018 Update
- The eSports industry revenue is expected to grow by 27.7% in 2018 from 2017. (esportsbets.com), 2018)
2018 Update
- As of November 2017, The International 7 covered 24.69 million U.S. dollars of the 121.1 million U.S. dollars eSports prize pool, that’s 20% of the overall prize pool. (Various sources (investmentbank.com), 2018)
2018 Update
- The United States generated the most sales revenue in the eSports markets worldwide, taking up 32% of the shares. (PwC, 2017)
2018 Update
- Intel Extreme Masters Katowice was held in Poland, with a recorded of 46 million unique viewers, making it the most watched eSports event in 2017. (eSports Marketing Blog, 2018)
2018 Update
- South Korea placed second among the leading eSports market with the most sales revenue globally, covering 30% of the shares. (PwC, 2017)
2018 Update
- Lol World Championship (2016) reached a number of 43 million unique viewers, making it the most viewed eSports event in 2016. (eSports Marketing Blog, 2018)
Market Leaders
As esports continues to branch out and grow as an industry, so do the games and teams involved, and the prize pots offered to winners. In 2017, Dota 2 accounted for the most distribution of annual prize pools, covering a total of 34.3% of the total worldwide prize pool. This has since been taken over by Fortnite that offered up a total of $64.42 million in prizes in 2019 compared to Dota 2’s $46.97 million.
Sources: Statista
2020 Update
Top esports teams by earnings
Statista, 2020
2020 Update
Unique viewers in top esports tournaments
Statista, 2020
2020 Update
Global esports market revenue
Statista, 2020
2020 Update
Top esports game by cumulative prize pool
Statista, 2020
2020 Update
- The highest-earning under 18-year-old esports competitor is Bugha, 16 years old, who has earned $3,30,300 in total
Esports Earnings, 2020
2020 Update
- The player Lil Poison was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest professional video game player
Guinness Book of World Records, 2020
2020 Update
- The oldest esports competitor is Uew Länger, at 59 years old
Esports Earnings, 2020
2020 Update
- The highest-earning female esports player of all time is Scarlett, earning $333,456.35
Esports Earnings, 2020
2020 Update
- The highest-earning player of all time is N0tail, a Danish player who has earned $6,886,181.99 in all
Esports Earnings, 2020
2020 Update
- The number one player on Team Liquid (the highest-earning team) was MinD_ContRol, earning $4,461,280
Esports Earnings, 2020
2020 Update
- N0tail is the leading esports player based on overall earnings with earnings totalling 6.89 million
Statista, 2020
2020 Update
- Fortnite was the leading game in esports worldwide in 2019 based on a prize pool of $64.42 million
Statista, 2020
2020 Update
- Fortnite offered the largest cumulative tournament prize pool in 2019 with $64.42 million in prizes
Statista, 2020
2018 Update
- DOTA 2 accounted the most distribution of annual prize pool, covering 34.3% of the total eSports prize pool worldwide. (e27; ValuePenguin, 2017)
2018 Update
- CS:GO reached the second place among the most distribution of annual prize pool in eSports, covering 17.35% of the share. (e27; ValuePenguin, 2017)
2018 Update
- League of Legends coverd 10.84% of the distribution of annual prize pool in eSports worldwide. (e27; ValuePenguin, 2017)
2018 Update
- DOTA 2’s The International 2017 ranked first among the leading eSports tournaments worldwide, with a total prize pool of 24.69 million U.S. dollars. (e-Sports Earnings, 2017)
2018 Update
- DOTA 2’s The International 2016 ranked second among the leading eSports tournaments worldwide, with a total prize pool of 20.77 million U.S. dollars. (e-Sports Earnings, 2017)
2018 Update
- DOTA 2’s The International 2015 had a total prize pool of 18.43 million U.S. dollars. (e-Sports Earnings, 2017)
2018 Update
- DOTA 2’s The International 2014 had a total prize pool of 10.93 million U.S. dollars. (e-Sports Earnings, 2017)
2018 Update
- League of Legends had 100 million players as of August 2017, leading the list among the eSports games with the most number of players. (SuperData Research, 2017)
2018 Update
- Call of Duty placed second among the list of eSports games with the most number of players as of August 2017, with 28.1 million players. (SuperData Research, 2017)
2018 Update
- DOTA 2 had 12.6 million players as of August 2017. (SuperData Research, 2017)
2018 Update
- League of Legends reached 11.8% of all platform gamers and eSports viewers around the world, the highest reach in the rank. (Newzoo 2017)
Marketing & Advertising
As the world of esports continues to grow, more and more businesses want a slice of the pie. Because of this, we have seen the marketing and advertising side of esports grow alongside the industry over the last few years as well. Sponsorship and advertising spend has steadily increased from $124.41 million in 2017 to $277.29 million in 2019, and is expected to reach $634.03 million by 2023.
Sources: Statista
2020 Update
Esports market revenue worldwide
Statista, 2020
2020 Update
Esports sponsorship and advertising spending worldwide
Statista, 2020
2018 Update
32% of the eSports fans as of May 2017 said that they would definitely try products shown during eSports games while 31% said they would somewhat agree with the statement. (Research Now, 2017)
2020 Update
- The average revenue per fan is set to increase along with the popularity of the sport, to $6.02 per fan by 2022
NewZoo, 2019
2020 Update
- Merchandise & Ticket revenue rose by $103.7m, a +22.4 increase on the previous year
NewZoo, 2019
2020 Update
- Esports advertising revenue rose by $189.2m in 2019, a +14.8% rise on the previous year
NewZoo, 2019
2020 Update
- Media rights increased by $251.3m in 2019, representing a +41.8% growth on the previous year
NewZoo, 2019
2020 Update
- Sponsorship accounted for $456.7m in esports revenue in 2019, +34.3% on the previous year
NewZoo, 2019
2020 Update
- Sponsorship accounted for $359.4m (40 percent of all esports revenue streams) in 2018
VentureBeat, 2019
2018 Update
- IT/computer industries in the U.S. have the most number of eSports sponsorships between January 2016 and August 2017, with an approximate 360 instances in the said industry alone. (Cynopsis Media, 2018)
2018 Update
- There were approximately 60 instances of eSports sponsorships among online services in the U.S. between January 2016 and August 2017. (Cynopsis Media, 2018)
2018 Update
- There were approximately 100 instances of eSports sponsorships among retail in the U.S. between January 2016 and August 2017. (Cynopsis Media, 2018)
2018 Update
- 37% of eSports fan in the U.S. wish to see brands and companies giving away prizes for competitions and various eSports related events. (eSports Ad Bureau, 2017)
2018 Update
- 38% of eSports fans in the United States stated that they would like to see fun and humorous, or exciting content. (eSports Ad Bureau, 2017)
2018 Update
- 33% of the eSports fans as of May 2017 said that they don’t like in-game ad placements by brands while 30% somewhat agree with this statement. (Research Now, 2017)
2018 Update
- 47% of eSports viewers are interest in receiving a free sample, free swag, or free merchandise at a live eSports event as of March 2017. (eSports Ad Bureau, 2017)
2018 Update
- 41% of eSports viewers are very interested in trying out a new product at a live eSports event as of March 2017. (eSports Ad Bureau, 2017)
2018 Update
- In 2016, Microsoft brand was mentioned 3,320 times by the top influencers within eSports community, up from 2,190 in 2015. (eSports Ad Bureau, 2017)
2018 Update
- Nintendo was mention 2,350 times by the same influencers in the community, up from 1,190 in the previous year. (eSports Ad Bureau, 2017)
Esport Betting
As the prize pools, and therefore the stakes, continue to rise in the world of esports, so does the world of esports betting. As with any sports, betting on the outcome of top esports tournaments is becoming a big business. While it still pales in comparison compared to sports betting, this is set to rise. In 2019, esports betting took up only 1.6% of sports betting, but by 2024 this is expected to 3.2%. Most of this betting takes place in Europe (with 44.5% share of the market) and Asia/ Middle East (with 40.7%).
Sources: igamingbusiness
2020 Update
Regional split of global esports betting
igamingbusiness, 2020
2020 Update
Esports betting as a percentage of sports betting
igamingbusiness, 2020
2020 Update
Total global esports betting gross win
igamingbusiness, 2020
2018 Update
The total bets of eSportsbook betting were expected to cover 92.6% of the estimated total amount wagered on eSports on cash gambling sites around the world in 2016. (eSports Betting Report, Narus Advisors, 2016)
2018 Update
Leading the distribution of the eSportsbook total amount wagered worldwide in 2016 is League of Legends, covering 38% of the shares. (eSportsBettingReport, 2016)
2020 Update
- In 2016, total esports wagers were 45.45% lower than they were in 2019, at $5.5B
Inside World Football, 2019
2020 Update
- Esports betting is on pace to reach up to $8 billion in total wagers this year
VentureBeat, 2019
2020 Update
- By 2024, the market is expected to generate $862m in revenue, growing its share of global betting GGR over the next five years from 1.6% in 2019 to 3.2% by 2024
igamingbusiness, 2020
2020 Update
- Gross wins from esports betting is estimated to grow by 39% year-on-year in 2020, to reach $343m
iGB, 2020
2018 Update
- 38% of the total eSportsbook amount wagered was attributed to bets placed on League of Legends since LoL was the most popular eSports game on the gambling market in 2016. (eSports Betting Report, Narus Advisors, 2016)
2018 Update
- The eSports betting revenue in 2020 is expected to reach 1.8 billion U.S. dollars. (GeekWire, 2015)
2018 Update
- In 2020, the eSports betting total amount wagered worldwide is expected to reach 23.5 billion U.S. dollars. (GeekWire, 2015)
Esport Startup Funding
The rapid growth of the esports market has seen a number of start ups appear within the industry covering everything from stat tracking to communication. The biggest esports-related start-up in the US has been the VoIP messaging service Discord, with venture capital of $50k, followed up by Skills which received $25k in venture capital. Investment in esports companies around the world is set to increase year on year with an 18.8% growth from 2016 to 2017.
Sources: CB Insights, TNL Media
2018 Update
- The leading eSports-related startups in the United States in 2017 is Discord, with a venture capital of 50 thousand U.S. dollars. (TNL Media, 2018)
2018 Update
- Skills took the second place among the leading eSports-related startups in the United States in 2017, with a venture capital of 25 thousand U.S. dollars. (TNL Media, 2018)
2018 Update
- 136 investment deals was estimated to be made in eSports companies from around the world in 2017, up from the actual 83 investment deals made in the previous year. (CB Insights, 2017)
2018 Update
- The investment in eSports companies around the world in 2017 is estimated to grow by 18.8% from 1.508 million U.S. dollars in 2016. (CB Insights, 2017)