Latest Newzoo study shows growing awareness of eSports

The research organisation Newzoo’s latest quarterly update to its Global Esports Market Report predicts that the number of consumers worldwide that are aware of eSports will surpass one billion this year, up 36 percent compared to last year.

The study includes data from the company’s recent consumer initiative in April, which embraced North America, Europe, the Middle-East and Africa, China, Japan and Korea indicating that the average awareness of eSports among gamers increased from 53.7 percent in 2015 to 65.7 percent in 2016.

Newzoo also bases its findings on data from numerous feeds, primary research and validation by a number of key participants in the eSports ecosystem.

The increased level of awareness leads the company to predict that eSports audiences are on an upward trend and will probably exceed expectations.

Newzoo attributes more awareness to explosive growth in coverage from global and local media; an intensified effort from game publishers, and the launch of new leagues and events., all of which have accelerated the global exposure of eSports beyond initial expectations.

The rise in awareness has translated into higher audience numbers for both Occasional Viewers and Esports Enthusiasts, the company notes, adjusting its audience figures upward from 131 million Esports Enthusiasts to 148 million.

Combined with the 144 million Occasional Viewers (those who watch eSports less than once a month and mostly tune in for a big event or watch along with someone else), the total audience will reach 292 million.

The popularity of the vertical has enabled international media and other companies to engage with a younger demographic through televised eSports events, with the Electronic Sports League launching its own 24/7 eSports channel in Nordic and Baltic countries, and Turner Broadcasting being just one example of a media group that hosts its own eSports leagues.

Newzoo reports that games publishers have also started to push their franchises as eSports titles, acknowledging the opportunities that eSports provides to engage a player base and community outside of the game.

Esports events are also being used increasingly as a pre-launch marketing tool, giving players the tools to develop community leagues themselves.

The Newzoo study contains a wealth of detailed information on the eSports vertical and its progress, including details on nations where the pastime has become particularly popular; these include South Korea, Turkey, Spain, and Poland.

The research company has published some interesting infographics on the vertical here: https://newzoo.com/resources/