OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY AND AIMS
“The purpose of this study is to identify profitability drivers in esports. This will provide the reader with predictions around progress of the esports industry compared with other well-established entertainment mediums, which will be used as points of reference. There are three main sections to this study, and each section answers one of the three questions posed below:
- Where will significant future growth come from?
2. Will esports actually increase revenue into the gaming industry as a whole, or will it effectively be cannibalising revenue from other parts of the industry?
3. Is the esports medium stable, and thus durable?
SNIPPETS FROM THE REPORT
“If we consider the journey of an esports fan to the point of becoming a successful pro we can start to see the importance of local infrastructure on their progression. From the point of discovering the game through playing and watching online, and even to their first big event, a fan will have some form of contact with a constituent of the esports industry.“
Insert from the Get in the Game study
“Some are tied into significant financial scholarships to
perform at esports. Others would not be able find the same
amount of exposure, high level equipment, nor support to
dramatically improve anywhere else. So they tend to be
much more compliant than pro-players, who might be able
to switch teams, renegotiate terms, or actively seek out
other sponsors / partners. This makes this part of the grass
roots foundation of esports extremely attractive to work
with for sponsors and potential investors.“
Insert from the Get in the Game study
WHO IS THE STUDY FOR?
This study is most relevant to investors, sponsors, partners, backers, and brands looking to enter the industry. However, those within the industry may also find useful insights in this study. It is worth investors being mindful of how well set up their potential assets are to take advantage of the opportunities outlined in the sections within. For instance, more traditional publishers have found esports a mixed blessing.
The esports business model requires a relatively static underlying game, which drives money through events and consequential in-game revenue. The is typically at odds with yearly launches of new instalments of established gaming franchises, and is constantly at risk of publishers changing the game to enhance their commercial position.
No other study to date has attempted to review the mechanics of profitability of the esports industry, nor provided context around commercial performance of the industry. It is an independent and agnostic study, and so the conclusions reached do not sugar-coat the outlook for those within the system – it just reflects where the data suggests that the industry is at. The study is the result of 18 months of deep industry analysis combined with expertise from the esports and live entertainment industries from David Fenlon and the ESI.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David is a commercial consultant by background, having advised dozens of multinational brands on key strategic investment decisions across various sectors. He specialises in the entertainment industry, working with some of the largest global brands.
He has worked with two of the largest global video game publishers on their events (esports and game launches); the largest music label group in the world; and has also worked in the gambling sector.
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