Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Market value and growth rate of e-sports market, China, 2016-18
- Companies and brands
- E-sports tournaments for every gamer
- Imitating marketing strategies from the sports industry
- New challengers in e-sports industry: live game streaming companies
- The consumer
- From watching online to attending live events and competing in tournaments
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- Figure 2: Penetration of watching e-sports content, June 2019
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- Figure 3: Penetration of playing e-sports games and participating in e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- Top-ranked social media platforms are competitive in launching live game streaming business
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- Figure 4: Platforms for watching e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- Online games and e-sport events complete each other
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- Figure 5: E-sports tournaments watched, June 2019
- Heavy investment needed when marketing e-sports tournaments
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- Figure 6: Information channels for e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- E-sports teams are the core of tournaments
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- Figure 7: Motivations to watch e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- “We are not otaku”
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- Figure 8: Favourite categories for crossover cooperation with e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- Half of surveyed consumers hold positive attitudes towards e-sports
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- Figure 9: Attitudes towards “e-sports as a sport”, June 2019
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- Figure 10: Attitudes towards “e-sports as a good career choice”, June 2019
- Playing e-sports games for relaxation
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- Figure 11: Attitudes towards “e-sports games is more useful to relax oneself”, June 2019
- Both mobile and PC e-sports games will continue to grow
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- Figure 12: Preference for mobile e-sports games vs PC e-sports games, June 2019
- Market for solo tournaments?
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- Figure 13: Preference for team-work e-sports games vs individual e-sports games, June 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Timing for offline events
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 14: Marketing image of CF themed travelling program
- Healthy e-sports
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 15: Products promoted by Three Squirrels with VG club
- Need more educational activities for core audiences
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Fast growth with support from government
Market Size
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- Emerging with considerable potential
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- Figure 16: Market value and growth rate of e-sports market, China, 2016-18
Market Drivers
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- Turning point: son of real estate tycoon led investment in e-sports market
- Featured at the 2018 Asian Games as a demonstration sport
- Rising support from both national and local government
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- Figure 17: History of drivers for e-sports market, 2003-19
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- E-sports tournaments for every gamer
- Imitating the marketing strategy of the sports industry
- New challengers in e-sports industry: live game streaming companies
Who’s Innovating?
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- Not just professional tournaments
- E-sports stadiums are popping up
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- Figure 18: Images of VSPN and B5 e-sports tournaments
- Learn from the peripheral product market of the sports industry
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- Figure 19: Image of LGD flagship store
- Introduce e-sports to mass market through TV channel
- Live streaming market: developing the ecosystem by setting up e-sports companies
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Watching and participating in person
- Narrowing gender gap
- Reach young generations on forums/BBS and through the celebrity effect
- Health becomes the hot theme of e-sports
- Need more educational marketing messages for post-2000s
Watching, Playing and Participating in E-sports
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- Trendy to watch live e-sports events
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- Figure 20: Penetration of watching e-sports content, June 2019
- Every gamer’s dream to compete in e-sports events
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- Figure 21: Penetration of playing e-sports games and participating in e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- Narrowing gender gap
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- Figure 22: Penetration rates of selected activities, by gender, June 2019
- Seize the opportunities beyond tier one cities
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- Figure 23: Penetration rates of selected activities, by city tier, June 2019
Platforms for Watching E-sports Tournaments
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- Top-ranked social media platforms have the potential to challenge live game streaming market
- Bilibili: the leader among young consumers
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- Figure 24: Platforms for watching e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- Female consumers are more open to new games and new e-sport events
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- Figure 25: Platforms for watching e-sports tournaments, by gender, June 2019
- Kuaishou: the only platform not skewed to young consumers
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- Figure 26: Platforms for watching e-sports tournaments, by generation, June 2019
E-sports Tournaments Watched
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- Online games and e-sport events complete with each other
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- Figure 27: E-sports tournaments watched, June 2019
- Popular games are well-received by men and women
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- Figure 28: E-sports tournaments watched, by gender, June 2019
- Universal popularity of King of Glory
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- Figure 29: E-sports tournaments watched, by generation, June 2019
Information Channels of E-sports Tournaments
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- Entering the digital world of gamers
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- Figure 30: Information channels for e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- Female consumers need more push messages
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- Figure 31: Information channels for e-sports tournaments, by gender, June 2019
- Young generations favour communities
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- Figure 32: Information channels for e-sports tournaments, by generation, June 2019
Motivations to Watch E-sports Tournaments
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- Love for the game is key
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- Figure 33: Motivations to watch e-sports tournaments, June 2019
- Female audience more susceptible to peer and family influence
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- Figure 34: Motivations to watch e-sports tournaments, by gender, June 2019
- Strong celebrity pull among young generations
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- Figure 35: Motivations to watch e-sports tournaments, by gender, June 2019
Marketing in E-sports Tournaments
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- “We are not otaku”
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- Figure 36: Favourite categories for crossover cooperation with e-sports tournaments, June 2019
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- Figure 37: Image of EDG club Weibo post promoting physical sports
- Young foodies
- Middle-aged travellers
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- Figure 38: Favourite categories for crossover cooperation with e-sports tournaments, by generation, June 2019
Attitudes towards E-sports
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- Recognised as a sport but violence is an issue
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- Figure 39: Attitudes towards “e-sports as a sport”, June 2019
- Post-2000s show ambivalent attitude towards e-sports
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- Figure 40: Attitudes towards “e-sports as a sport”, by generation, June 2019
- Figure 41: Attitudes towards “all types of e-sports games should be recognised as sport”, by generation, June 2019
- Parents are quite open-minded about e-sports
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- Figure 42: Attitudes towards “e-sports as a sport”, by family structure, June 2019
- Residents in tier one cities are more cautious about designating e-sports a sport
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- Figure 43: Attitudes towards “e-sports as a sport”, by city tier, June 2019
- Have e-sports become a good career choice?
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- Figure 44: Attitudes towards “e-sports as a good career choice”, June 2019
- Core consumers have less faith in e-sports as a career
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- Figure 45: % of any agree of “e-sports is not a good career choice”, by selected demographics, June 2019
- Playing e-sports games for relaxation
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- Figure 46: Attitudes towards “e-sports games is more useful to relax oneself”, June 2019
- Both mobile and PC e-sports games will continue to grow
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- Figure 47: Preference for mobile e-sports games vs PC e-sports games, June 2019
- Market for solo tournaments?
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- Figure 48: Preference for team-work e-sports games vs individual e-sports games, June 2019
- Figure 49: Preference for team-work e-sports games vs individual e-sports games, by generations, June 2019
Meet the Mintropolitans
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- MinTs are more devoted to e-sports tournaments
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- Figure 50: Motivations to watch e-sports tournaments, by consumer classification, June 2019
- High potential for premium sports/fitness and restaurants marketing in e-sports tournaments
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- Figure 51: Favourite categories for crossover cooperation with e-sports tournaments, by consumer classification, June 2019
- Have concerns but still support e-sports as a sport
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- Figure 52: Attitudes towards “e-sports as a sport”, by consumer classification, June 2019
- Figure 53: Attitudes towards “all types of e-sports games should be recognised as sport”, by consumer classification, June 2019
Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
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- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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