Eye-Opening eSports Statistics By Revenue, Level of Interest, Team Players Earning, Leading eSports Tournaments And Peak Viewers

Saisuman Revankar
Written by
Saisuman Revankar

Updated · Apr 09, 2025

Rohan Jambhale
Edited by
Rohan Jambhale

Editor

Eye-Opening eSports Statistics By Revenue, Level of Interest, Team Players Earning, Leading eSports Tournaments And Peak Viewers

Introduction

eSports Statistics: Alternatively called competitive gaming, eSports has evolved as a business to hundreds of billions of Dollars. Starting as small local competitions, this has evolved into professional tournaments, which attract millions of players and fans with massive sponsorship.

As for 2024, the eye-opening eSports statistics will be forward-looking as it will be fueled by increased investment, viewership and participation across the globe. This article outlines the main figures that will, in one way or another, influence the eSports sector in the year 2025, which will raise revenue, engage the audience and investors, and expand into new territories.

Editor’s Choice

  • According to eye-opening esports statistics, Dota 2’s overall economic worth, including its prize pool, reached nearly $40 million in 2023.
  • The total number of eSports players worldwide is expected to increase from 650 million by 2025 to 720.8 million by 2027.
  • Eye-opening esports statistics indicate that the esports market’s revenue in 2024 reached $2.5 billion and is expected to grow to $5.43 billion by 2027.
  • NOtail, the leading eSports player by winnings, had over 7.18 million dollars worth of prize money by 2023.
  • By the year 2023, the total value of the eSports industry had grown to about 3.96 billion U.S. dollars.
  • Team Spirit, the highest-earning eSports organization, has amassed over $540 million in prize money for its players.
  • In terms of Dollars, when the date of this research was on fresh export market valuation figures, it was found that in 2023, the American multiple valued by more than 1.076 billion US dollars has ever been the biggest market in the world for esports.
  • Eye-opening esports statistics reveal that the esports market had a user penetration of 7.5% in 2023 and is anticipated to reach 9.1% by 2027.
  • The cumulative worth of the four most financially viable eSports organizations is over two hundred and fifty million dollars.
  • The worldwide eSports industry is expected to reach $6.802 billion by 2030, achieving a CAGR of 21.11%.
  • The greatest proportion of the income is generated from sponsorships, which accounted for more than $1.2 billion or nearly 58% of the overall revenue forecast for 2025. Major sponsors such as Coca-Cola, Nike, and Red Bull continue to invest aggressively in esports.
  • Eye-opening esports statistics report that the third segment of revenue generation—media rights—will account for the second-largest share of revenues, projected at around $500 million by 2024. This illustrates the growing zeal of broadcasters and streaming platforms to acquire exclusive video game-based content.
  • The merchandising and Ticket Sales categories are expected to account for revenues of about $300 million, owing to the advent of onsite competitions and the sales of branded DOTA merchandise.

Key Facts

  • The global eSports market is on the rise, with revenue forecasts of about US$4.3 billion in 2024. This phenomenon can be attributed to an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2029) of 6.59%.
  • Therefore, a higher market size volume of up to US$5.9 billion is expected by the year 2029.
  • Esports Betting is the most profitable segment of the market, and it is predicted to grow to roughly US$2.5 billion by 2024.
  • The United States comes first in most factors, including revenue, and is estimated to have a market volume of approximately US$1.07 billion by 2024.
  • On the other hand, eSports revenue in the US rose more than fourfold from 2018 to 2022 and is expected to be more than 1.5 billion dollars by 2028.
  • As for eSports competition participation, the US ranked the highest in the world in 2023.
  • The eSports Metaverse is projected to provide US$9.3 billion in 2029, considering the expected number of users of 896 million, with an anticipated user penetration rate of 11.9% in 2024 and 14.2% by 2029.
  • ARPU (average revenue per user) is likely to be equal to 5.93. South Korea has firmly established itself as one of the leading countries in eSports competition.
  • In 2023, the cumulative earnings of eSports players in the US alone reached just under US$30 million.
  • Eye-opening esports statistics reported that in the U.S. in April 2023, almost 40% of male respondents were interested in esports, whereas the female respondents were slightly under 15%.
  • The value of the global eSports market is projected to reach around £1.87 billion by 2025, of which only sponsorship is expected to generate over £837 million in revenue in 2022.
  • Eye-opening esports statistics predicted that the global esports audience will have increased to 640.8 million users by 2025.
  • In 2027, the size of the eSports industry in the UK is expected to have increased significantly more than double since 2020- with the primary attributes being media rights as well as merchandise, ticket sales, sponsorships, and marketing.
  • In the UK esports streaming market, revenue is expected to reach US$3.68 million by the year 2027.
  • The use of eSports in the UK is forecasted to surpass 17 million by 2027, with an average revenue per user of US$4.18.
  • Harry Pearson (Veno) was the highest-earning esports player in the UK in 2022, with more than US$344,000, while Henrik Mclean (Hen) was second with US$245,000.
  • In 2022, esports players from the UK collected over US$5.5 million in prize money, a significant rise from the US$186,000 recorded in 2012.
  • In 2022, eSports revenue in China increased by as much as two times.
  • China’s eSports market, estimated to be between USD 1 billion and above USD 20 billion, has a user base of over 480 million andhas witnessed record online watching peaks attributed to COVID-19.
  • Even since the onset of the COVID pandemic, it is believed that even in North America, Asia will become the fastest region to develop the Esports commercial market.
  • The Growth of legally accepted eSports will include an estimated 1.5 million eSports athletes in India by the financial year 2025.
  • In September 2023, India competed in four esports medal events (League of Legends, FC Online, DOTA2, Sand treet Fighter V) of the rescheduled Asian Games 2022.

eSports Market Revenue Worldwide

esports-market-revenue-worldwide-from-2017-to-2029 (Reference: statista.com)

  • Eye-opening esports statistics reported that the esports industry was slightly more than 1.38 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, and efforts indicate it is likely to reach 1.87 billion U.S. dollars by 2025.
  • At present, Asia and North America are the two leading regions in terms of eSports industry revenues, with China alone accounting for almost 20% of the worldwide share.
  • In 2021, sponsorship and advertising had the biggest revenue share of the eSports market, reaching 641 million U.S. dollars. This was followed by revenues from media rights, which were slightly above 192 million U.S. dollars.
  • In 2022, the number of eSports fans globally increased to 532 million, and it is estimated that the number of viewers will continue to increase. The number of eSports fans globally by 2025 is expected to be 640 million and above.

eSports Market Revenue Worldwide By Segment

esports-market-revenue-worldwide-in-2022-by-segment (Reference: statista.com)

  • According to eye-opening esports statistics, the sales and tickets sector of the global esports market was projected at 107.9 million U.S. dollars in 2022.
  • The expansion of the global eSports market is still in progress, and revenues are estimated to increase to $1.87 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. China ranked first in the list and had the highest revenue in 2021, followed by the U.S. market.

Level of Interest in Esports By Age

level-of-interest-in-esports-worldwide-from-2021-to-2024-by-age (Reference: statista.com)

  • Eye-opening esports statistics reported in the second quarter of 2024, obtained from global respondents aged between 18 and 29, show that more than 30% confirmed that they were interested in esports. This insinuates that esports is majorly acclaimed among younger adults.
  • However, considering the whole population, irrespective of the age brackets, interest was very low, with only 17% of the respondents indicating any interest in eSports. This emphasizes the fact that younger persons play eSports more than the rest of the population.

Leading professional eSports teams globally won total prize money

leading-professional-esports-teams-worldwide-as-of-april-2025-by-total-prize-money-won (Reference: statista.com)

  • Eye-opening esports statistics indicate that Team Liquid is a competitive esports team focused on Dota 2 tournaments and events.
  • Since its establishment, the organisation has garnered more than 48 million U.S. dollars in prize money.
  • Team Liquid placed third in the International 2022 finals.
  • OG (Europe) gained 38.11 million, and Team Spirit Russia Esport won 29.55 million.
  • On the other hand, Evil Geniuses of the United States won 28.55 million, and Natus Vincere of Ukraine gained 21,17 as compared to other Esports.

Top eSports Tournaments Global by Peak Viewers

peak-viewers-of-leading-esports-tournaments-worldwide-as-of-january-2025 (Reference: statista.com)

  • Recent Eye-opening esports statistics reported that the Esports industry has experienced incredible growth as more spectators want to see the best gamers in action.
  • The League of Legends World Championship 2023 is the most-watched eSports competition in history, attracting a whopping 6.4 million viewers at its peak.
  • Striking second is the Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore, which garnered a peak viewership of 5.41 million.
  • As of 2021, the eSports market had an objective audience of 234 million hardcore fans and 240 million infrequent passive viewers.
  • Those figures should be rather high predictions for the coming years. Fans can be found all over the world, but the Asia-Pacific region has the most developed eSports audience.
  • In 2021, roughly 13.4% of the entire U.S. internet population undertook esports viewing activities, a percentage that is projected to increase to 15.5% by 2023.
  • Internationally, the total cash prize for all League of Legends tournaments held in 2021 was more than 7.82 million U.S. dollars.
  • Apart from Mid-Season Invitations, the best League of Legends players, also participate in the competition known as League of Legends World Championship held each year. The stakes were very high in  2018 with the tournament having a prize pool of 6.45 million U.S. dollars.
  • The final climax of the 2022 World Championship was between the South stars, DRX and T1, where DRX won the match 3-2 and walked away with almost half a million prizes in U.S dollars.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Intel Extreme Masters Viewers Globally

counter-strike-global-offensive-intel-extreme-masters-viewers-globally (Reference: statista.com)

  • Eye-opening esports statistics report that the IEM, or the Intel Extreme Masters, is a series of organised esports competitions held worldwide.
  • Among them is a competition concerning Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where the last phases of the ongoing 2023 edition will be held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
  • The highest-rated CS
  • tournament match in history so far was the semifinals between Heroic and NAVI, which had a maximum audience impression of more than 562,000 viewers.

Globally Top eSports Players By Earning

leading-esports-players-worldwide-in-2024-by-earnings (Reference: statista.com)

  • The eSports industry has Matured, and it has become possible for talented players to make millions of dollars and land great endorsement deals.
  • In the year 2023, it is reported that the highest-paid player in the eSports scene was Ilya Mulyarchuk, also known by his player ID Yatoro, as he made approximately 1.41 million dollars that year.

eSports Development Technology

  • Among other game development tools, Unity is the most widely accepted engine among the developers as 61% of the respondents who use it have a 30.03% share in instead of Game Development.
  • Up to now, research from Grand View has carried out a market survey within the sector.
  • Eye-opening eSports statistics show that for augmented and virtual reality gaming, they estimated the global revenue from virtual reality games to be valued at 20.73 billion United States dollars in the year 2022, with a projection of the growth index standing at a CAGR of 22.7% for the years 2023-2030.
  • The player-user interaction through the use of blockchain is a new element that is a blistering expansion of growth in the gambling sector.
  • The blockchain market is expected to generate revenue of approximately $65.7 billion by 2027, with the CAGR fully expanding from 2022 to 2027 standing at 70.3%.
  • Future Market Insights also provides estimates detailing that the increasing popularity of gaming is expected to propel the global wearable gaming technology market beyond USD 76.42 billion by the year 2032 at a CAGR of 14.6% for the forecast period 2022 to 2032.
  • Besides, the gaming industry has also incorporated generative AI into its case studies and in 2023, this sector was worth USD 1,117.8 million and is projected to expand by 2032 to $ 6,943.7 million, growing at the rate of 22.5% during the period 2023-2032.

Regional Growth

  • Asian-Pacific (APAC): APAC continues to be the dominant territory in terms of eSports, accounting for more than half of the global audience – perhaps even more. China and South Korea are the main growth markets, with more than $1 billion of eSports revenue forecast in 2024.
  • North America: eSports in North America is set to be worth more than half a billion dollars, a large portion of which can be attributed to sponsorship and media rights revenues.
  • Europe: Europe, and especially the West, is expected to add approximately $400 million to the world’s esports earnings. Countries such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are the Forerunners in this region.

Future Trends

  • The popularity of mobile eSports is rising rapidly, especially in certain regions like Southeast Asia and South America. Game titles such as PUBG Mobile and Free Fire will likely become the leading contenders in the mobile eSports sphere in the year 2024.
  • The number of female gamers and eSports players continues to grow. In the year 2024, women are expected to reach 25% of the eSports audience, a significant increase compared to previous years.

Conclusion

Eye-opening eSports statistics in 2025 are full of promise. Expectations are that the e-sports industry revenues will top $2.5 billion, and the audience will surpass 660 million worldwide. This upsurge is fueled by increasing brand expenditures, growing audiences, and the boom of mobile eSports.

Given all these rapid changes, the gaming industry may be set to take center stage in entertainment in almost every country.

FAQ.

What will be the total revenue generated by the eSports industry in the year 2024?



The eSports industry is anticipated to generate about $2.5 billion in 2024, which is expected to increase to $5.43 billion in 2027.

What will the number of eSports players be estimated globally by 2027?



It is estimated that the number of eSports participants worldwide will increase to 720.8 million in 2027 from 650 million players in 2025.

Which region records the most revenue in eSports?



The United States is the leading nation in enjoying eSports games, with a market size of about US$1.07 billion by 2024. Other than the United States, the Asia-Pacific region, primarily China and South Korea, are important countries contributing to the eSports market’s reach and income.

What are the main revenue streams of the eSports market?



The largest portion of the eSports market revenue comes from sponsorships, which will be valued at more than $1.2 billion in 2025. Other important income sources are media rights, tournament entry fees, and merchandising, where media rights are expected to be around $500 million by 2024.

Which trends are anticipated to influence the eSports sector in 2024 and beyond?



Trends include the growing tendency of competitive gaming on mobile devices, with some of the most downloaded games, such as PUBG Mobile and Free Fire, in certain locations. Furthermore, the number of female players is growing, and by 2024, it is predicted that women will constitute 25% of the eSports audience.

Saisuman Revankar
Saisuman Revankar

Saisuman is a professional content writer specializing in health, law, and space-related articles. Her experience includes designing featured articles for websites and newsletters, as well as conducting detailed research for medical professionals and researchers. Passionate about languages since childhood, Saisuman can read, write, and speak in five different languages. Her love for languages and reading inspired her to pursue a career in writing. Saisuman holds a Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has worked in a Human Resources firm for a year. She was previously associated with a French international company. In addition to writing, Saisuman enjoys traveling and singing classical songs in her leisure time.

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