Watching eSports set to become a $3.5B industry

Swedish video game commentator Felix Kjellberg, a.k.a. PewDiePie. Image: Roslan Rahman/AFP

A new report into eSports and games streaming habits highlights that using platforms like Twitch to watch other people playing video games is officially a thing.

In fact, according to Juniper Research it’s already a $1.8 billion thing, and by 2021, this new pastime will be generating $3.5 billion in revenues every year.

Thanks to Twitch and other live-streaming platforms, the popularity of watching eSports and of watching casual gamers going through “let’s play” tutorials or discovery clips has exploded in recent years.

Juniper puts this down to two factors: those that enjoy gaming looking to find out more about a new title or play that title better; and the growing popularity of broadcasters that use “let’s play” and eSports footage in their videos. In this regard, PewDiePie is by far the most well-known digital celebrity and is one that has built his channel on video games as much as comedic content.

In fact, according to Juniper, even his high-profile separation from his biggest commercial sponsors hasn’t dented his standing among his fans.

Research author Lauren Foye explained: “A breach of a sponsor’s values can result in the termination of lucrative partnerships. Nevertheless, a rise in PewDiePie’s channel engagement following the scandal highlights a quandary sponsors are facing.” JB

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