Newzoo has released its report on the Global Esports Market with a special focus on the global revenue and audience generated.

Over $1.1 billion in revenue per year for eSports

 In 2019, the total worldwide esports revenue was $950 million. This record is expected to be broken in 2020 as the forecasted amount would exceed $1.1 billion, passing the historic $1 billion mark for the first time. This increase of nearly 15% is due to a growing market and consumers who are increasingly fond of esports. Sales of merchandise and tickets for the various events, both online and IRL (in real life), accounted for $122 million, and three quarters of the revenue ($822 million) came from media rights and sponsorship in general.

Skyrocketing revenues generated by eSports - Source Newzoo

An audience of nearly 500 million Internet users

There were nearly 437 million internet users interested in esports around the world in 2019, this year the total figure will approach 500 million. Indeed, with an annual growth of 11.7%, there are 495 million people in 2020.

Among these esports enthusiasts, there are 223 million "enthusiasts" whom Newzoo considers to be more invested than others in the subject.

The most-watched event on Twitch and YouTube remains the League of Legends World Championship with 105 million hours viewed, ahead of the Overwatch League with nearly 104 million hours viewed.

Growth of the eSport audience between the casual audience and the eSport enthusiasts - Source Newzoo

The emergence of eSport

One area that has seen very strong growth in recent years, and especially in 2020, is mobile esports. This emerging market was developing little by little, and made a big step forward with the arrival of games such as PUBG Mobile or even Garena Free Fire, who have seen their competitive scene develop very quickly. The huge spike in 2020 is particularly due to emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, India or Brazil, which have particularly contributed to this growth. YouTube remains the main platform where Internet users consume the most mobile esports.

Emergence of eSports in the world and revenues generated by region - Source Newzoo

As one of the top 3 regions experiencing strong growth in gaming and eSports, Africa also seems to be responsible for this increase, especially in countries whose infrastructures are better equipped to serve content like this one.