Advanced technology has changed our mentality and habits. People no longer have to get out of their homes to find entertainment as the modern devices and online world provide them with everything they need.
The presence of online technology has become visible in almost every industry that exists in the world. Businesses that operate in different business fields are using the Internet for advertising, improvement of brand awareness, communication with clients, etc. However, something that no one could predict 10 or 15 years ago is that sports will experience digitalization one day. More precisely, no one on the planet Earth could believe that eSports are going to experience a popularity growth in all parts of the world.
So, What Exactly does “eSports” Define?
eSports is a multibillionaire industry with the potential for continued grow far into the future. It represents a group of video games divided into several different genres. Some of the most popular ones are first-person shooters, real-time strategies, fighting games, sports games, among others.
All the gamers participating in the industry have only one goal – to win the prize pool while enjoying their passion. eSports tournaments often connect passionate gamers from all over the world in one place. That is probably the main reason why this form of competition has become tremendously popular in all regions globally. Plus, it is important to mention many investors decided to support this industry which has garnered additional support opening a variety of new opportunities.
Yet, the popularity of eSports is not the same in all parts of the globe. That is the reason why we decided to analyze the five biggest markets for eSports. In case you plan to become a professional gamer one day, these pieces of information will probably be helpful. With this, you can direct your efforts to the market that will suit your attention the most.
1. China: The Biggest eSports Market of All
According to the latest research, the market size of eSports in China in 2020 was around 140 billion Yuans. To make things a bit clearer, the value of one Yuan is around 0.15 American dollars. We will let you calculate how much money they invested last year.
Believe it or not, this country has hosted around 250 million people so far who regularly play eSports or watch and enjoy the tournaments. Some of the most popular games in this country are Dota 2 and League of Legends. However, you will also manage to find teams actively trying to get the prize pool in other genres.
Some of the most popular clubs from China are EHOME, IG, Royal Never Give Up, and others. These teams have, more or less, identical tactics – they play hard and adapt to the new challenges as quickly as they can.
In the end, when we talk about money, Chinese gamers have managed to earn a lot of money. Around 4 thousand professional eSports gamers managed to earn around 100 million dollars!
2. South Korea
South Korea is the creator of the eSports industry. However, the creators of this amazing business field are not as financially strong as some other countries.
Still, that doesn’t mean their eSports teams are not successful and popular among the eSports followers. They have teams for Dota 2, CS:GO, Starcraft II, League of Legends, among many others. The reason why they are so successful is the ability of the players to adapt to any challenge in real-time.
As mentioned, eSports were not profitable as for other countries. For instance, South Korean players have, so far, managed to earn around 80 million dollars. However, it is important to mention there are “only” 3.6 active players in the industry. This only means their gamblers were successful in many tournaments.
3. The USA, of course
Could you imagine this list without the United States of America? US-based eSports gamers are some sort of superstars in this country. A good example, Team SoloMid who achieved many goals during the first and second seasons of League of Legends. They had a popularity as some of the most popular football or basketball teams.
Thanks to massively popular games such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, and others, teams like EchoFOx, CLG, and Cloud9 achieve a type of stardom. Around 14,000 gamers have managed to earn more than 127 million dollars thanks to the eSports industry. This fact puts the USA in first place among the most profitable eSports countries.
4. Sweden
After North America and Asia, it is about time to move to Europe. Sweden is the biggest eSports market in Europe. It is also the home of one of the biggest eSports tournaments in the world known as DreamHack.
So far, the eSports players have won nearly 35 million dollars in eSports earningsy. Some of their most popular gamers are Olofmeister, KRiMZ, and forest (they all play CSGO). Speaking of Dota 2, names such as ZAi and S4 are something you should remember.
5. Last But Not Least: Denmark
We are still in the northern part of Europe as Denmark is one of the biggest eSports markets in the world. If you are not too young, then you probably remember Copenhagen Wolves and their influence on Denmark people. Thanks to their dominance in different tournaments, eSports have become popular in this region.
While you are reading this article, there are a bit less than 1,500 professional eSports participants in this country. However, it is important to mention that these 1,500 individuals managed to earn around 30 million dollars. We can all agree this is very impressive!
Bonus: Are Daily Fantasy and eSports the Same?
If you have researched the digital sports field, then you have probably seen the phrase “daily fantasy” somewhere. Some people think eSports and daily fantasy sports are the same. The answer to that question is “not quite”.
If you decide to play daily fantasy sports, your duty would be to build up a team of real players. You will earn points and money based on their performances in real life. The contests are not a matter of season; as the name suggests, they are a matter of days or even hours.
Just like eSports, daily fantasy is popular in some markets like in New Zealand. If eSports seem too complex for you, this could be an entertaining way to compete against others. However, you also need to work on your skills and know which individuals deserve to be in your team.
Final Thought
We have finally come to an end. As you see, the eSports industry is popular in all regions of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America. However, if eSports seems like a challenging thing for you, then daily fantasy can be an amazing alternative. Check out which game genres inspire you the most, improve your skills and design good tactics that will ensure success.
