Esports statistics and market reports
Documents
Rapporto sugli Esports in Italia: 2020
The Italian esports market experienced a period of accelerated expansion throughout 2020, largely catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Italian esports market saw a 33% increase in its avid fan base to 466,000 individuals in 2020, with the broader audience reaching 1.41 million.
- The typical Italian esports consumer is a 29-year-old male with above-average disposable income who maintains an average of 2.8 gaming accounts.
- Fans dedicate an average of 6.5 hours per week to esports content, demonstrating a consistent consumption pattern and high engagement levels.
Rapporto sugli Esports in Italia 2021
The Italian esports sector experienced a period of robust expansion and professionalization throughout 2021, demonstrating significant resilience despite the global challenges posed by the pandemic.
- The Italian esports fanbase reached 1.62 million individuals aged 16–40 in 2021, with the 'avid fan' segment growing by 15% to 475,000 people.
- Avid fans in Italy spend 62% more on gaming-related products and services monthly than the general fan base, maintaining an average of 3.3 gaming service accounts per user.
- The competitive gaming landscape is highly volatile, experiencing a 72% year-over-year turnover in top-streamed titles as games like Call of Duty: Warzone gained traction alongside staples like League of Legends.
Landscape del Settore Esports in Italia 2022
The 2022 landscape analysis of the Italian esports sector provides a comprehensive evaluation of the industry’s economic impact, stakeholder perceptions, and market growth.
- The Italian esports sector generated a total economic impact of 47 to 51 million euros in 2022, marking a 4% year-over-year increase.
- Direct economic impact reached 38 million euros, with esports teams accounting for 55% of that total, while indirect impact exceeded 10 million euros, driven primarily by publishers at 64%.
- The industry exhibits high operational efficiency, with a value added per employee ranging from 143,000 to 145,000 euros.
Rapporto sugli Esports in Italia 2022
The Italian esports landscape is undergoing a period of structural consolidation, characterized by a dedicated fanbase of 1.62 million individuals aged 16 to 40.
- The Italian esports market comprises 1.62 million fans aged 16 to 40, with an average age of 27 and a socio-economic profile higher than the national average.
- Twitch is the dominant consumption platform, having recorded a 60 percent year-over-year increase in hours watched.
- The market has shifted from the dominance of single titles like Fortnite toward a more fragmented landscape led by competitive games such as Call of Duty: Warzone and Rocket League.
Esports Digital Overview: Italy 2022
The Italian esports market underwent a transformative shift in 2021, characterized by a decisive consolidation of viewership on Twitch and a notable diversification of competitive gaming titles.
- Twitch consolidated its position as the primary platform for Italian esports in 2021, recording 482 million hours watched, a 60 percent year-over-year increase.
- Viewership for national esports events surged by 92 percent, while international broadcasts experienced a 52 percent growth rate.
- The competitive landscape shifted away from the dominance of single titles like Fortnite toward a more fragmented market led by esports-focused games.
Future of eSports ft. Ilaria Caputo (EA), Hugo Tristao (Newzoo), & Matt Kanterman (Ball Metaverse)
The esports industry is undergoing a period of sustained expansion, with the global audience projected to reach 640 million viewers by 2025.
- The global esports audience is projected to reach 640 million viewers by 2025, with industry revenue expected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2022 to $1.9 billion.
- Publishers should prioritize localized strategies that account for regional hardware preferences, such as the dominance of mobile gaming in Southeast Asia versus PC-centric markets in North America.
- Esports functions as a strategic pillar for game publishers by driving long-term player engagement, user acquisition, and the development of deep-seated emotional fandom.
Let's Play! 2022: The European Esports Market
The European esports market has reached a critical inflection point, transitioning from the rapid, pandemic-driven expansion of 2020 toward a phase of stabilization and strategic maturation.
- The European esports market has shifted from pandemic-driven expansion to a phase of stabilization, characterized by a plateau in total reach and a decline in regular viewership.
- Esports organizations are pivoting away from pure competitive play toward diversified business models that integrate agency services, media production, and content creation to ensure long-term sustainability.
- The industry is currently under-monetized due to a historical reliance on free-to-access content, necessitating a shift toward converting casual viewers into consistent, paying consumers.
MTG Game Makers Day 2022
MTG has successfully transitioned into a pure-play mobile gaming group, shifting from a diversified holding company to an integrated acceleration platform.
- MTG has completed its transition into a pure-play mobile gaming group, operating as an integrated platform rather than a diversified holding company.
- The 'Flow Platform' serves as the central ecosystem for sharing data, marketing technology, and monetization tools across all portfolio studios to drive growth above market averages.
- PlaySimple drives revenue through a proprietary ad-tech stack focused on word games, while InnoGames utilizes AI-driven CRM and LiveOps to maintain long-term player retention.
Video Game Streaming Trends: 2022 Third Quarter Report
The third quarter of 2022 reflects a period of stabilization for the live streaming industry as it transitions away from pandemic-era highs.
- Twitch maintains a dominant 72% market share of gaming hours watched, while YouTube grew its viewership by 4% and Facebook Gaming suffered a 70% decline following the discontinuation of its standalone app.
- The live streaming industry is stabilizing post-pandemic with total hours watched down 13% year-over-year, though current viewership remains nearly double 2019 levels.
- Esports viewership grew 40% year-over-year, with Twitch capturing 66% of this segment and eight of the top ten esports organizations now generating the majority of their watch time through non-competitive variety content.
Keynote: Competition Boost Retention
Competition serves as a fundamental driver of player retention and community engagement in modern multiplayer gaming.
- Integrating short-form, in-game tournaments significantly boosts daily retention rates by leveraging players' psychological desire for status and achievement.
- In Stumble Guys, a title with 90 million monthly active users, tournament participants demonstrate substantially higher retention rates, with the most engaged players reaching up to 90% retention.
- Tournament systems function as effective economic sinks by requiring in-game currency for entry, allowing developers to retain a portion of fees while distributing the remainder to winners.
How to Get Bang for Your Buck with Influencers featuring Chief Pat
The mobile gaming industry has undergone a significant professionalization, shifting from individual content creation to complex, multifaceted organizations that bridge the gap between developers and players.
- Mobile game developers should integrate creators into the entire development lifecycle, from early playtesting to post-launch marketing, to ensure authentic engagement.
- Influencer-generated content has become a critical asset for high-performing ad campaigns as traditional performance marketing faces challenges from data privacy regulations.
- Long-term partnerships with creators who have a genuine affinity for a game yield a higher return on investment than one-off, transactional ad spots with high-profile influencers.
Global Esports and Live Streaming Market Report
The report outlines the global esports and live-streaming landscape for 2022, emphasizing key tournaments, viewership metrics, and emerging strategic shifts by major publishers.
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive led 2022 viewership with the PGL Major Antwerp recording 10.5 million hours watched and an average concurrent viewership of 96.7k.
- Riot Games is shifting its Valorant esports strategy from high-cost franchising to a partnership model that eliminates franchise fees in favor of financial stipends.
- Major esports titles including Dota 2 and League of Legends events generated over 20 million hours of combined viewership in 2022.