Category Interesting Facts

25+ eSports Facts and Statistics [Industry, Games and Trends]

Author Toni Published on 10 min read

Last modified on December 8th, 2022 at 3:10 pm

esports-facts-statistics

How big is the eSports sector in the UK and how does the country compare to some of the largest markets in the world and is gaming a sport?

To find out the answers and more check out our article on the latest esports facts and stats.

Ready?

Game on!

UK eSports Statistics

1. How many Brits are eSports fans?

(Statista) (Influencer Marketing Hub) (Newzoo)

Even though eSports are on the rise in the UK, they’re still lagging behind the global average.

According to eSports facts from a 2021 Statista survey, the majority of respondents (61%) stated that they weren’t fans of them, while 20% said they’d never heard of the term.

Speaking of eSports fan base facts and figures, 435.9 million people around the globe watched eSports in 2020, 215 million of whom were classified as enthusiasts, whereas 220.5 million watched them occasionally.

2. How many people watch eSports in the UK?

(IBISWorld)

Only 7% of UK adults have watched eSports.

When it comes to eSports viewership statistics, a 2017 YouGov survey suggests that about four million individuals have watched electronic sports, whereas just 8% would be interested in watching them again.

3. How many active eSports players are in the UK?

(Statista)

There are 691 active eSports players in the UK. In terms of the number of active professional electronic sports players, the UK ranks eighth in the world.

The US is first with more than 4,300 pro gamers, followed by Germany (973) and South Korea (890).

4. Only 6% of internet users who watch eSports tournaments come from the UK.

(Statista)

This puts Britain well behind the global average of 22%. In fact, together with Germany, Belgium, Japan and the US, Britain is among the countries with the lowest number of eSports tournament spectators.

5. 59% of British eSports fans also watch traditional sports.

(British eSports Association) (DataReportal)

Electronic sports viewers aren’t set on electronic games and computers alone, eSports facts indicate.

As many as 59% of eSports fans in the UK also like football, boxing, and tennis, which comes as no surprise knowing that these are the UK’s favourite sports.

Still, the number of eSports viewers in the world is lower than the 3.5 billion who watch the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics.

6. There are nearly one million female eSports viewers in the UK.

(eSports News UK) (British eSports)

As specified by the latest data from Newzoo, 69% of eSports viewers are male, while 31% are female.

The low representation of women prompted the British eSports Association to launch its Women in eSports campaign in 2019, which aims to promote diversity and inclusivity in this industry.

7. The majority of eSports enthusiasts in Britain are between the ages of 21 and 35.

(eSports News UK)

Unsurprisingly, eSports participation facts suggest that younger generations are more enthusiastic about them.

Namely, 63% of eSports viewers are aged between 21 and 35. More specifically, 42% are males of this generation, and 21% are females, making up the biggest share of all age groups.

By contrast, only 1% of males between the ages of 51 and 65 are eSports viewers—the smallest demographic of all.

8. Which is the highest-earning eSports team in the world?

(eSports Earnings)

UK-based Fantic is the fourth highest-earning eSports team in the world. This electronic sports team has earned a total of $18,358,955.12 from 1045 tournaments throughout its career.

Judging by eSports teams’ facts and stats, this sum puts this London-based organisation in fourth place, preceded by top-earner Team Liquid ($40 million), second-ranked OG ($37 million), and third-ranked Evil Geniuses ($26 million).

9. Who is the highest-paid eSports player?

(eSports Earnings)

Johan Sundstein, aka N0tail, is the highest-paid eSports player in the world right now. He has earned over $7 million by playing games such as Dota 2 and Heroes of Newerth.

Right behind him is Jesse Vainikka (JerAx) and Anathan Pham (Ana) with $6 million.

10. How many people bet on eSports?

(The Gambling Commission)

As reported in a survey by the UK Gambling Commission, one in ten adults have ever bet on eSports, an increase from the 6% recorded just a year earlier.

Somewhat expected, it’s mostly young males who wager on eSports. For instance, betting on eSports facts and statistics reveal that a fifth of 18-24-year-olds has placed a bet on one of these competitions, compared to just 9% of the 45-54 age group.

The same is true for 14% of men and only 5% of women.

You may also like: Best pro CS:GO players

11. YouTube Gaming and Twitch are the biggest streaming platforms in the UK.

(Statista)

A 2020 Statista survey revealed that more than half (52%) had used YouTube Gaming in the last year to stream video games. 42% chose Twitch, while 31% opted for Facebook Gaming.

Caffeine and Dailymotion Games got a smaller piece of the pie—they were mentioned by 16% and 14% of respondents, respectively.

12. Twitch had 299,000 DAUs on iOS and 32,000 on Android in June 2021.

(Statista)

Twitch has also seen an increase in usage among Brits, eSports streaming statistics suggest, especially since the start of the pandemic.

Actually, the number of monthly Twitch mobile users in the UK hasn’t been under one million since early 2020. Thus, in June 2021, the Twitch mobile app had 1.2 million monthly active users on iOS and 97,000 on Android.

13. FIFA 22 was the best-selling video game in the UK in 2021.

(Statista)

Looking at the latest eSports statistics, FIFA 22 ranked at the top of the list of best-selling games in the country in 2021, which includes both digital and physical sales. Last year, over 2.3 million FIFA 21 games were sold on British soil.

With over 975 thousand copies sold, Call of Duty: Vanguard finished second, whereas GTA V (967 thousand copies) was right behind it.

You may also like: Fifa betting guide

UK eSports Industry Statistics and Facts

14. Revenue of the eSports market is projected to be over $43 million in 2022.

(Statista)

With an CAGR of 10.53% the eSports market in the UK is expected to reach a market volume of $71.47 million by 2027.

15. Sponsorship & Advertising were the markets largest segment.

(Statista)

According to Statista, sponsorship and advertising generated $18.63 million in 2022, making it the largest segment in the eSports market.

16. China accounts for nearly a fifth of the eSports market revenue.

(Statista)

China is set to generate over 383 million US dollars in 2022, which positions it firmly as the biggest eSports market in the world.

Next is North America, which is expected to bring in $243 million, and Western Europe, with an estimated $205.8 million in revenue this year.

eSports Games Facts and Stats

17. Which is the most-watched eSports event of all time?

(Dawn.com)

The 2021 Free Fire World Series is the most-watched eSports event of all time.

Hosted in Singapore, the finale of the 2021 Garena Free Fire tournament had a record-breaking 5.41 million peak viewers.

The finale matched Phoenix Force against the Brazilian organisation LOUD, with the former becoming the ultimate champion and claiming the $500,0000 prize pool.

18. Which is the most popular eSports discipline?

(ESCharts)

Clocking 580.8 million hours watched, LoL, eSports facts and stats show, takes the top spot as the most popular game in the world.

With 354.2 million hours watched, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is second, followed by Dota 2, which recorded 253.3 million hours watched. 

19. In March 2020, Counter-Strike had about one million concurrent players.

(Activeplayer)

In September 2022 the veteran first-person shooter game recorded over 34.5 active monthly players.

20. Which eSports tournament has the highest prize pool?

(Statista)

The International 2019 had the highest prize pool. The total prize pool of the International 9 stood at an amazing $34.33 million, higher than any tournament in the history of eSports.

Actually, the Dota 2 championship has had the highest prize pool for almost five years running.

Second on the list is the Fortnite World Cup 2019, with a prize pool of $15.29 million and $15.1 million for the solo and duo finale, respectively.

However, in the future, it is expected that these prize pools will only go up, and the upcoming eSports events prove just that.

eSports Growth Statistics and Future Trends

21. The number of eSports enthusiasts should hit 577.2 million by 2024.

(Newzoo)

Expected to increase to 474 million in 2021, up from 435.9 million in 2020, the global eSports audience is further projected to grow to a whopping 577.2 million by 2024.

Out of these, 291.6 million are estimated to be occasional viewers, while 285.7 million will be devoted eSports fans.

22. The global eSports market revenue is over $1.3 billion in 2022 .

(Statista)

According to recent forecasts, the eSports industry’s global market revenue is expected to grow to 1.87 billion U.S. dollars by 2025.

23. Sponsorships will continue to be the main revenue stream for the eSports industry in 2021.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

Newzoo’s latest predictions show that eSports sponsorships will continue to be the lifeblood of the eSports industry, generating $641.0 million in 2021.

Media rights come in second with $192.6 million, an estimated increase of 13.4% over the previous year.

24. Mobile is the future of eSports.

(Insider Intelligence)

Based on Insider Intelligence’s eSports statistics, growth in this sector will most likely be powered by mobile gaming.

Thanks to mobile internet penetration and 5G technology, gaming on portable devices is projected to account for 45% of the total games market in the world.

Fun Facts About eSports

25. eSports gamers are classified as professional athletes in the United States.

(Forbes)

Professional eSports gamers have the same privileges as NBA, MLB, and NHL players, including the same taxation and rights to enter the country.

This should come as no surprise, considering how much time and effort pro gamers devote to practising and improving their abilities—traits that put them in the same corner as other professional sports players.

26. Fortnite and Dota championship rewards are larger than the ones won at Wimbledon.

(Engadget)

Talking of crazy eSports facts and stats, did you know that pro gamers make more than some professional athletes? 

When OG won the International Dota 2 tournament in 2019, the team earned $15.6 million in total or around $3.1 million per team member. T

hat’s quite the windfall, especially compared to what some of the biggest tennis players make from tournaments. For instance, Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep made “just” $2.9 million as Wimbledon champions.

Keep in mind that, Wimbledon is among the highest-paying tennis tournaments.

27. Where is the biggest eSports arena?

(e-Sports Tripper)

The Zhongxian eSports Stadium in China is the biggest dedicated arena in the world.

With 6,000 seats, the Three Gorges Harbor eSports Stadium has the highest seating capacity out of all dedicated eSports stadiums in the world.

The second-largest is the eSports Arena Arlington in the USA. Boasting a total of 2,500 seats, this arena is the biggest eSports stadium in North America.

The Gfinity Arena in London, on the other hand, has 600 seats and is ranked sixth on the list of the biggest dedicated eSports venues in the world.

28. The League of Legends trophy case was designed by Louis Vuitton.

(HYPEBEAST)

One of the little-known eSports facts is that one of the world’s best fashion brands is a major partner of League of Legends. Louis Vuitton collaborated with LoL in 2019 to design the TRUE DAMAGE skin collection, as well as the trophy case for the LoL Worlds tournament.

29. There is an eSports version of the Premier League.

(Goal) (Manchester City F.C.)

Called the ePremier League, this tournament features all 20 Premier League teams (but not the best Premier League players), which compete in FIFA 21 on Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

More than 22 million people watched the two finals in 2021, which were hosted live from the Gfinity Arena in London and broadcast by Sky Sports, BT Sport and BBC Sport in the UK.

Final Thoughts 

Video gaming has long been an integral part of UK culture; however, as these eSports facts and figures show, the country still has a long way to go if it wants to compete with some of the leading markets like China and the US.

You may also be interested in:

Sources:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *