Who Watches eSports? Interpret Releases Report that Busts Myths about eSports Viewers

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Gamebyte–eSports viewers might not be who you think they are.

eSports is no niche pastime: The number of people who have watched
professional eSports tournaments is 31M in the United States and 68M in
China, according to GameScape, a new report from Interpret, LLC.

The report shows that eSports viewers are older and more educated than
you may have thought. In the U.S, the median age for eSports viewers is
28, nearly half of them hold a college degree, and 55% are employed
full-time, according to GameScape. In China, eSports viewers are even
more likely to be fully-employed, with 75% holding full-time jobs and
71% holding a college degree. eSports viewers also report higher than
average household income and most admit to having spent money on eSports
related goods (69% in the U.S. and 84% in China). “As eSports audiences
grow worldwide, they represent significant business opportunities for a
multitude of companies,” said Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, President of
Interpret, LLC.

The report also concludes that eSports viewers overlap heavily with
viewers of traditional sports. In the U.S., over half of eSports viewers
report watching NFL games, and in China, over two-thirds report watching
NBA games. Although the status of eSports as “real sports” may still be
hotly debated in the media, this issue seems to be mostly settled for
U.S. and Chinese eSports viewers, with 61% and 63% respectively agreeing
eSports are real sports. “eSports fans are not just watching to learn
how to better play their favorite games, they engage for entertainment
value and excitement,” said Cai.

One area where eSports may be beating out traditional sports is the
ability to engage viewers in the early rounds of major tournaments.
Almost half of U.S. and Chinese eSports viewers report tuning in to the
first rounds of eSports tournaments. For eSports advertisers and
sponsors, this may mean a greater bang for their buck if they invest in
the early stages of a tournament.

GameScape provides comprehensive insights about eSports viewers and
their motivations and preferences, as well as measurements of VR/AR
familiarity and interest in the U.S. and China. For more information,
please contact Diane LightWaight at diane.lightwaight@interpretllc.com
or 310.567.4380.

Interpret, LLC is a full service market research firm focused on media,
entertainment, and technology.

Contacts

Interpret, LLC
Michael Cai, President:
Michael.Cai@interpretllc.com