Newzoo released its 2019 Global Esports Market Report, which projects global esports revenue will hit $1.1B this year, according to Trent Murray of THE ESPORTS OBSERVER. Of that total, Newzoo projects $409.1M will be generated by North America, with China accounting for $210.3M. According to the report, 82% of total revenue, or $897.2M, will come from brand investments such as media rights, advertising and sponsorships. Newzoo projects this number to reach $1.5B by '22 and account for 87% of total esports revenues. In addition to revenue projections, Newzoo’s report states that the total esports audience will reach 453.8 million in '19. Of that number, 201.2 million will be "Esports Enthusiasts" -- a term Newzoo uses to "refer to a person that watches professional esports content more than once a month." The report projects that Asia-Pacific will account for 57% of all esports enthusiasts in '19, with Europe accounting for 16% and North America making up 12%. In '19, Newzoo projects that global average revenue per esports enthusiast will be $5.45 (TEO, 2/12). REUTERS' Hilary Russ reported esprots has "burst into the mainstream," with its own superstars and leagues, celebrity athlete owners and tournaments that sell out stadiums and award prizes worth millions of dollars. Newzoo CEO Peter Warman said that early investments by big brands "are now taking root." He said, "This is not experimental budgets. This is for the long-term, and it's good amounts of money. It's what the ecosystem needed and what investors wanted to see." For instance, Activision Blizzard's Overwatch League named Coca-Cola its global beverage sponsor for non-alcoholic drinks on Friday (REUTERS, 2/12). Advance Publications, which owns SBJ/SBD, also owns a majority stake in Newzoo (THE DAILY).
For more coverage of the business of esports, visit our partners, esportsobserver.com.
