80 Essential Esports Statistics and Trends [2024]  

E-sports is capturing the attention of many nowadays. In the past, saying, “I want to play games professionally,” might have raised a few eyebrows among adults. But times have changed, and the e-sports profession is gaining widespread recognition globally. Today, being an e-sports athlete can bring in a steady income through various channels like sponsorships, bonuses, streaming, and competition prize money.

From a business standpoint, diving into the e-sports world opens up a whole new avenue to reach millions of growing consumers worldwide. Many big brands are already jumping on this bandwagon.

If you’re a business eyeing opportunities in the e-sports scene, we’ve got 80 esports stats and fascinating trends to help inform your decision-making process.

Esports Market Size and Growth Statistics

“Is Esports still on the rise in 2024?” is a common question. With a looming global recession and the lingering effects of the pandemic, it’s tough to assess if the Esports scene is still climbing or if it’s hit a plateau. Here are some key factors influencing the Esports market and its recent growth trends, which might shed light on this question:

1. In 2019, the global esports market was valued at $957.5 million. This figure has grown 70% over the last 4 years to approximately $1.64 billion in 2023. (GlobalData)
2. Esports sponsorship contributes over $600 million in market revenue today. (Newzoo)
3. The esports market worldwide is projected to reach a revenue of $4.3 billion in 2024. This figure underscores the significant financial impact of the industry on a global scale. (Statista)
4. The global esports market is forecasted to grow from $2.06 billion in 2024 to $9.29 billion by 2032, displaying a CAGR of 20.7% during the forecast period. (Fortune Business Insights)
5. Esports has a global audience of over 540 Million. (Demandsage)
6. By 2028, The United States is expected to have an esports user penetration rate of 23.4%. (Demandsage)
7. China is second, with an Esports user penetration rate of 15.5% in 2024 and expected to reach 17.9% by 2028. (Demandsage)
8. Esports enjoys strong support in Asian countries, given Asia’s vast gaming population of over 1.5 billion. (Statista)
9. In particular, 40% of Esports fans are from China and the Philippines. (Statista)
10.  During the first year of the pandemic, Spain experienced the most significant surge in esports viewership compared to traditional sports, with 70% of viewers tuning in more frequently. (Playtoday)

Esports Viewership Statistics

“Gaming” and “Esports viewership” might seem like different worlds, but they overlap quite a bit. While gaming refers to playing video games, Esports fans are the folks who enjoy watching, attending, or supporting Esports teams and events, much like fans of traditional sports teams. You might think that there are fewer Esports viewers compared to gamers, but let’s take a closer look at the answers below.

1. In 2022, the global esports audience reached a staggering 523 million viewers and is now expected to rise to over 640 million by 2025. (Skillademia)
2. By the end of 2024, there are expected to be over 285 million frequent viewers of eSports worldwide, as well as some 291.6 million occasional viewers. (Statista)
3. 32% of internet users who watch esports tournaments worldwide are between the ages of 16 and 24. Meanwhile, 30% are 25 to 34 years old, 19% are 35 to 44 years old, 10% are 45 to 54 years old, and only 6% are from the 55 to 64 age bracket. (GlobalWebIndex)
4. Esports is showing diversity in 2024, with 35% of Esports fans are women, up from 28% in 2016. (Gitnux)
5. European men watch esports more than women; however, women spend more money on esports-related merchandise (48%) compared to men (46%). (Playtoday)
6. In the United States, the average esports viewer is 29 years old. (Earthweb)
7. Over 60% of esports fans between the ages of 18 and 34 claim to watch esports at least once a week. (Gitnux)
8. In 2022, 81% of esports viewership was non-mobile games. (Statista)
9. However, mobile esports are expected to account for 45% of esports viewership by 2025. (Gitnux)
10. Twitch remains the most popular platform to watch Esports, hitting over 1.9 billion viewership hours In January 2024. (Esports)

Esports Game Statistics

While numerous online games exist worldwide, only a select few ascend to the status of esports competition, and even fewer truly shines in the scene. The majority of esports games that fans are familiar with fall into categories like shooting games such as CSGO and Valorant, or MOBA games like League of Legends. 

Now, let’s dive into some captivating insights about the performance of these top esports games, including their peak prize pools and viewership.

1. League of Legends remains the most popular esports game by peak viewership, with a staggering 2,656,938 peak viewerships in 2024. (ESCharts)
2. The most popular mobile esports game in 2024 is Mobile Legends, the MOBA game just like League of Legends, with 1,865,928 peak viewerships. (ESCharts)
3. In terms of active teams playing, Counter-Strike has been ranked as the top game since November 2016 with 6,294 teams playing. (ESCharts)
4. Over 1 million people streamed Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2020. (Esports Charts)
5. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is the biggest esports game in 2024 in terms of prize pools at over $4.2 million. (ESCharts)
6. Fortnite, the very popular esports game in The U.S., has the 3rd biggest prize pool at $117 million. (ESCharts)
7. With 4,810 players and 1,855 tournaments, Dota 2 cumulative prize pools total over $340 million in 2023. (Esports Earnings)
8. In Asia, out of 151.4m watch hours, 65.8% of audiences are watching Valorant. (ESCharts)
9. Valorant is the fastest-growing esports discipline in Asia, generating 6.8m more Hours Watched in 2023 than in the previous year. (ESCharts)
10. Despite its popularity in The U.S., Counter-Strike, including both CS:GO and CS2, was accountable for only 2.5% of the total watch time generated from Asia in 2023. (ESCharts)

Esports Player Statistics

Esports fans are just as devoted to their favorite players as football or K-pop enthusiasts are to theirs. This strong connection has led to increasing pay for esports players, inspiring many gamers to turn their passion into a profession. Let’s explore how esports players are getting paid in the growing era of the esports scene.

1. Team Liquid, founded in the Netherlands in 2000, has won over $45 million as a professional Esports team. (Esports Earnings)
2. Johan Sundstein, known as “N0tail”, leads the chart of highest-earning esports athletes with career earnings totaling over $7.18 million, primarily from his success in Dota 2 tournaments. (Exploding Topics)
3. As of 2024, Team Falcons has the highest earnings with $1.08 million from 17 tournaments in the year.  (Esportearnings)
4. At the same time, Wang Yuan-hao, hailing from Taiwan and known by his gamer tag UMA, earned $1 million in 2024 alone. (Esportearnings)
5. The United States is ranked as the country with the highest esports player earnings in 2024, totaling $4.4 million from 1,335 players. (Esportearnings)
6. Top-tier esports professionals earn monthly salaries ranging from $10,000 to $15,000, depending on their level of skill and the game they compete in, with lower-level tiers earning considerably less (Play Today).
7. Sasha Hostyn is the leading female Esports player, earning over $450,000. (Esportsearnings)
8. T1, the most popular esports team in Asia, has a famous player Lee “Faker” Sang Hyeok, who is the team’s only player with more than $1 million in prize money. (Playtoday)
9. The esports team with the highest win rate in 2024 is Top Esports, boasting a win rate of 78% with a record of 29 wins and 8 losses during the LPL Spring 2024 season. (GOL)
10. Lil Poison, the youngest professional gamer in the Guinness Book of World Records, began playing video games extensively at the age of 2. (WatchMojo)

You might also be interested in: 80 Video Game Industry Statistics [2024]

Esports Tournament Statistics

Esports are like organized video game showdowns where pro players face off individually or in teams. Just as people eagerly follow the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup, esports tournaments draw in big audiences who closely watch the action, the players, and the team strategies. And for businesses, these tournaments offer a golden chance to connect with huge crowds of fans.

1. The most-watched esports tournament was the Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore, with 5.41 million viewers. (Playtoday)
2. At the same time, the most popular game like League of Legends (LOL) World Championships took over the second and third places. (Explodingtopics)
3. There were approximately 30,000 professional esports athletes who competed in 2022, compared to 14,000 in 2015.  (BCG)
4. Esports viewership has reached new heights, with an estimated 532 million viewers tuning in to watch competitions online and on traditional broadcasting channels in 2024. (Playtoday)
5. While the industry is financially struggling, the largest prize pool in esports history was recorded in 2024, with $60 million from the Inaugural Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia. (ABC17News)
6. The top 4 Esports organizations are worth over $250 million combined. (Forbes)
7. Cloud9 placed second on the most valuable Esports organizations with a valuation of $350 million. (Explodingtopics)
8. In 2020, Enthusiast Gaming was the top-earning Esports organization making over $90 million (Forbes).
9. In terms of Airtime, Jingle Jam 2018, the world’s biggest gaming charity event, was recorded with the longest airtime duration at 712 hours or almost 30 days. (ESCharts)
10. The starting point of esports tournaments was Quake’s Red Annihilation online tournament in 1997 with 2,000 participants competing. (LinkedIn)

Esports Revenue Streams Statistics

Esports is booming and gaining recognition as a mainstream sport. Governments worldwide are even considering it as a potential source of national income. But before diving in, businesses should understand where Esports revenue comes from.

1. 34% of global esports revenue comes from China. (Skillademia)
2. As of 2023, the global esports market size was valued at $1.72 billion. (Fortune Business Insights)
3. By 2024, the global market revenue of esports is expected to surpass $1.62 billion. (9mmenergy)
4. Saudi Arabia is emerging as a global gaming powerhouse with a $37.8 billion investment in this market. (Skillademia)
5. Sponsorships are a major revenue driver for the esports industry, with an estimated value of $641 million. (Newzoo)
6. Media rights are set to be responsible for $192.6 million worth of revenue in the Esports space. (Newzoo)
7. Streaming contributed the lowest share of total esports earnings, amounting to only $25 million. (Newzoo)
8. Back in 2020, 73% of stakeholders believed the pandemic would generate more investment and deal activity in esports. (Foley & Lardner)
9. Meanwhile, In 2021, 49% expect traditional professional sports teams, athletes, and celebrities to increase their investment in esports. (Foley & Lardner)
10. At the same time, esports betting is on the rise, with projected revenue estimated to reach $2.5 billion in 2024. (Statista)

Esports Sponsorship and Advertising Spending Statistics

Sponsorship and advertising are the big money-makers in the esports industry, reaching billions of viewers. Interestingly, many businesses still prioritize social media platforms, despite the increasing ad costs. Here are some insights to back up this claim.

1. The global esports sponsorship and advertising market is projected to grow by 5.41% from 2024 to 2028, indicating a robust expansion in the sector. (Statista)
2. In the United States alone, the sponsorship and advertising market within esports is expected to reach a volume of $226.4 million by 2028, growing at a rate of 3.94% over the four years. (Statista)
3. Sponsors contribute to 60% of esports revenue, with major brands like BMW and Red Bull playing crucial roles in the ecosystem. (Skillademia)
4. As of January 2024, Riot Games announced sponsorships with brands such as Kia, HyperX, KitKat, and Omen. (Digiday)
5. In 2023, Mercedes-Benz was announced as an official sponsor of the League of Legends World Championship. (Esports Insider)
6. In 2022, gaming ad revenue only grew 7%, compared to 32% across CTV and 16% across social media. (Adexchanger)
7. However, Twitch, the most popular esports streaming platform, boasts 70 million monthly active users, offering immense visibility for video advertising. (Digilant)
8. Advertisers are set to spend $9.86 billion on mobile gaming by 2027, which does not even include additional investments in esports content consumed on other platforms. (Digilant)
9. In 2022, Nike released its first commercial on the esports platform. (Fortune Business Insights)
10. Celebrities are also increasingly investing in esports. Notable investors include Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Steve Young, Sean Combs, Odell Beckham Jr., and Kevin Durant. (Bankrate)

Emerging Trends and Future Outlook for Esports

As technology advances, esports is solidifying its presence in the entertainment landscape. While comparing the number of gamers to other industries may be challenging, the figures we’ve shared demonstrate a significant investment from both businesses and governments in esports. Now, let’s explore emerging trends and predictions that could shape the future of esports.

1. Saudi Arabia announced a $120 million investment in esports and gaming, demonstrating its ambition to enhance the local and global esports ecosystem. (Esports Insider)
2. China, at the same time, is becoming more open to international esports, with two major LAN tournaments for Counter-Strike 2 taking place in 2024 — IEM China 2024 and Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024. (ESCharts)
3. Amidst Twitch and YouTube, TikTok and Kicks are reportedly emerging as growing platforms for esports streaming in the upcoming future. (ESCharts)
4. Esports has been making strides toward the Olympic scene, with many speculating that it could happen as early as 2025 or 2026. (Inside The Games)
5. The incorporation of AR and VR technologies in gaming is set to enhance player immersion, offering more engaging and realistic experiences. (EDIIIE)
6. 2024 is poised to be a crucial stage in the development of the mobile esports scene, particularly for Honor of Kings, the popular Chinese mobile MOBA developed by TiMi Studios. (Esports Insider)
7. Mobile gaming continues to experience immense growth, with major titles like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), PUBG Mobile, and Free Fire announcing significant changes to their 2024 roadmaps. (Esports Insider)
8. Game aggregation APIs will evolve to seamlessly integrate cutting-edge content, fostering a more diverse and immersive gaming portfolio. (MMCGBL)
9. The community of casting gamers is on the rise, especially among retired professional players. They notably contributed to a peak viewership of 6.4 million during the 2023 World Championship hosted by Riot Games. (ESCharts)
10. The costs of maintaining esports teams have increased significantly in recent years, with the value of top players already reaching millions of dollars. Therefore, one ongoing trend expected to continue in 2024 is esports organizations focusing on stabilizing expenses and seeking new revenue sources. (ESCharts)

Game On With Insights

Esports is currently experiencing a boom, and even with its rapid growth, there are always new trends on the horizon to keep things exciting. Who knows, we might even witness the dawn of Esports 2.0 in the next couple of years! The esports statistics we’ve shared here aren’t just for bragging rights—they’re valuable insights that can help guide important business decisions. Ready to level up your game?