Millennials in Eastern Canada are ready for eSports
20 years ago did you ever think that a 16-year-old would become a multimillionaire athlete just by playing video games at home? Me neither. If I knew that was how the future of video games was going to pan out I would have told my parents I was investing in my future by staying in bed playing video games all day.
The surge of eSports globally is projected by The Canadian Business Journal to be a $1.5 billion dollar industry in annual revenue this year alone. Which means for brands in Canada, the opportunity to invest and align in this industry is a huge one.
What is eSports?
For those of you new to the lingo, eSports is a form of online sports where multiple players compete against one another often in front of a spectating crowd – sometimes virtual crowds but also at live events held in big arenas or conference centres.
To give reference to how big the e-gaming industry is, 16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf won $3 million from winning Fortnite, a Battle Royal shooter game, in a single tournament alone.
With North America proving to be the biggest revenue market for eSports, there is a big opportunity for brands in Canada to capitalize on this market, in more ways than one.
So who is watching?
Our survey results suggest that Millennials are eSports ready
Instead of streaming the eSporting events via Twitch, an opportunity might arise for sport broadcasts to display the game on television. Caddle insights suggest that 24% of Millennial males in Canada would be interested in watching an eSports game on TV at a bar or restaurant.
Watch the Leafs win the Stanley Cup (vicariously through an eSports Tournament)
Ontario fans no longer have to be disappointed to see the Leafs get cut from the playoffs for another season.
Ontario Millennials showed an over-indexed interest (26%) in watching eSports at a bar or restaurant. Perhaps now they could have the hope of watching the Leafs win the Stanley Cup virtually, if not in reality.
Are Habs fans interested in eSports too?
With how the Canadiens season is going this year, Quebec millennial males might be trading in their actual team for a virtual viewing experience; these Quebecers (36%) show an interest in watching eSports at a bar or restaurant which continues to suggest an opportunity for brands to tap into eSports viewing outside of the home.
Opportunities for eSports in 2020
Hockey aside, data suggests millennials in Eastern Canada want to watch eSports from the comfort of their local watering hole.
So, what does that mean for your brand?
Here’s are some opportunities to align your brand to eSports in 2020:
- Sponsoring eSporting events and aligning your brand through media exposure
- Activating at bars/restaurants to engage captive eSports consumers
- Advertising your brand during eSport related events and passion points
- Partnering with female gamers to generate diversity and inclusion
- Working with platforms like Twitch to leverage eSports creators and influencers to co-create content for your brand