19% of 2022 Esports Viewership Were Mobile Events

Mobile esports represented a significant portion of the global gaming landscape in 2022, accounting for 360 million hours of viewership, or 19% of the total 2.53 billion hours recorded for all esports. While this figure reflects a 24% decline compared to the previous year, the decrease is largely attributed to external factors, including the regulatory banning of major titles like PUBG Mobile in India and the rescheduling of key Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) events to early 2023.

The data highlights a distinct geographic and platform-specific trend in mobile esports consumption. Unlike traditional PC-based esports, which maintain a strong presence on Twitch, mobile esports viewership is heavily concentrated on YouTube, which captured nearly 80% of total watch time. Engagement is primarily driven by audiences in Southeast Asia, which accounted for 170 million hours of viewership, followed by Eastern and Southern Asia. In contrast, North American viewership remained relatively low at approximately 5 million hours.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang emerged as the dominant title, securing 165 million hours of watch time and ranking as the fifth-largest esports title overall. The game also claimed four of the top five peak viewership moments of the year, led by the MLBB Southeast Asia Cup, which reached 2.24 million concurrent viewers. Garena Free Fire was the only other title to break into the top five peak viewership rankings. These findings underscore the critical role of accessibility and regional popularity in shaping the mobile esports ecosystem, particularly in markets where mobile devices serve as the primary gaming platform.