It’s Going to be Hard to Keep Ignoring Esports
We at Crowd React Media wanted to take a deep dive into the world of sports and figure out what American sports audiences actually look like. Crowd React Media wants to know what sports they watch, what sports content they read, what they are posting about sports on social media, what sports programs they listen to, what sports related games they play, and whether they bet on sports. To accomplish this task, we devised a survey to incorporate all these aspects of sports media consumption. The results were revealing. Over 500+ respondents qualified for the survey by showing their interest in watching/streaming sports, playing fantasy sports, betting on sporting events, and playing/watching Esports.
Often a neglected area of sports media consumption, most sports audiences are participating, if not competing with one another, in Esports. Out of those 500+ sports consumers we interviewed, 66% either play or watch Esports, otherwise known as ‘Competitive Gaming’. Let that number sink in, 66% of Sports audiences are engaging with Esports content. Esports is an exploding market in which gamers across the world are virtually competing with one another, sometimes with money at stake. Though, it is not only the players that make up the Esports market. Esports competitions and top players command a dedicated audience of streamers on an expanding list of streaming platforms that broadcast big matchups and feature their favorite players, playing their favorite games.
A recent example of the Esports craze was at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup. Fortnite, as you are probably familiar, is a third person multiplayer action/shooter game in which one can compete in a variety of styles, notably that of battle-royale, where the last person standing, wins. The winner of the main competition at the Fortnite World Cup walked home with $3,000,000 in cash. The total cash pool across a variety of competitions came around $30,000,000 in winnable prize money. The Fortnite World Cup also had millions of viewers watching live streams of the competition on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. The demand for Esports has grown ever since, with higher stakes and larger audiences tuning in.
Before we get to the streaming platforms on which Esports audiences are watching their favorite competitions and players, let’s take a look at the following graph to figure out just how often they are playing or watching Esports.
Graph (Below): How often do you play/watch Esports?
The first point that jumps out from this graph is that 36% of Esports audiences are playing or watching every day. That is already an incredibly high level of engagement. Ages 30-49 represent the highest share of the Esports audience at 39% playing every single day. That is astounding! Next, the bulk of Esports audiences have indicated they play or watch once or twice a week at 41%. Pay attention to the age demos here, with 45% of ages 18-29 playing/watching once or twice a week, 41% of ages 30-49 playing/watching once or twice a week, and notably 34% of the older age demo of 50+ playing/watching once or twice a week. That is a remarkable share of committed Esports audiences, spanning all ages. This staunch engagement with Esports content among multiple age ranges translates to major marketing opportunities, albeit for those who know where the action is taking place.
And that action is taking place predominantly on streaming platforms that specialize in hosting Esports players and competitions. These platforms are popping up left and right, although there are a handful that command the highest portion of streamers. The 83% of Esports audiences that are watching or streaming Esports (83%!) are doing so on YouTube and Twitch, 94% and 58% respectively. Let’s take a peek at the next graph that shows where the streamers are hanging out:
Graph (Below): How do you watch/stream Esports?
YouTube and Twitch are clearly dominating in the Esports streaming platform market. However, social media mainstays like Facebook (40%) and TikTok (31%) are creeping into the bigger picture with their ventures into Esports streaming, privy to the increasingly large demand in streaming alternatives from Esports audiences.
Streaming Platforms are only half the story when it comes to Esports. 86% of Esports fans are also consuming loads of media about their favorite players, competitions, and games. Esports audiences are also listening to podcasts about Esports, reading about Esports online, and following Esports on social media. The graph below gives an idea to how these enthusiasts are filling up their time:
Graph (Below): How do you consume media about Esports?
So, in addition to those that watch/stream Esports that we mentioned earlier, 45% are reading about Esports online, 39% are listening to podcasts about Esports, and 34% are following Esports on social media. This is an extreme level of content consumption among a devoted audience.
All indications point to the Esports market continuing to expand at a startling rate. ‘Real’ sports might still be all the rage right now, yet Esports is amassing a legion of its own devotees, signaling an explosion of lucrative opportunities in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
TL;DR
- 66% of sports audiences are engaging with Esports content.
- Esports competitions and players command a sizable audience on a variety of streaming platforms.
- Esports competitions are becoming high stakes events, with the winner of 2019’s Fortnite World Cup walking home with $3,000,000 in cash. $30,000,000 in cash prizes were distributed among the victors in various game categories. Millions watched live on Streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
- 36% of Esports audiences are playing/watching every day.
- The bulk of Esports audiences have indicated they play or watch once or twice a week at 41%.
- Remarkable share of committed Esports audiences, spanning all age ranges depicted in this study.
- 83% of Esports audiences are watching or streaming Esports.
- YouTube (94%) and Twitch (58%) are the dominant streaming platforms for Esports, with social media titans Facebook (40%) and TikTok (31%) capturing a sizable share.
- 86% of Esports enthusiasts are consuming media about Esports, including watching/streaming Esports (83%), reading about Esports online (45%), listening to podcasts about Esports (39%), and following Esports on social media (34%).
(Survey Fielded Online in May and June of 2021. In-tab 535+ Respondents from Major Metros across the United States)
