By the end of '17, the European esports market will have generated $209M from media rights, sponsorships, advertising, merchandising and event tickets, a Newzoo whitepaper said, according to Angelos Anastasopoulos of THE ESPORTS OBSERVER. This corresponds to 32% of the global esports revenues ($660M), even though Europe accounts for just 20% of "the worldwide esports audience." This makes the region the second-biggest esports market, after North America (36% of the global revenues) and above Asia (which generates 27%). The report mentions that Europe is a "key region for the esports industry." Esports, and specifically European esports, "is growing vastly," as Newzoo expects a further 32% rise in revenues until '20. The growth "is not only due to new players, but also viewers who treat esports solely as a viewing experience." Newzoo’s study shows that 26% of all European League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 viewers "do not play any of the games themselves," as the company analyzed earlier this year. Newzoo believes the industry "is now exiting its childhood phase and entering adolescence," and the next two years could "prove crucial in how fast it grows into a multi-billion-dollar business" (THE ESPORTS OBSERVER, 12/20).
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