A report published Wednesday by Nielsen outlines a number of key facts and figures about the current esports audience in the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany. One telling statistic is that Call of Duty is by far the most popular game for esports fans in America, with 61 percent of esports fans playing—even more so than League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and other popular titles.
The report notes that games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, which was most popular among fans in the U.K. and Germany, are not played competitively in the same way League of Legends and Counter-Strike are, but they offer telling hints into the types of games esports fans enjoy most. Nielsen’s report is a guide, of sorts, for potential esports investors and sponsors; in this case, the report argues that the esports fan is much more than what he or she seems.
Interestingly, Counter-Strike and League of Legends, which both have massive competitive followings, are not particularly favored by fans in any of the markets the report probed. Neither game appears in the U.S. top 10, and both games are low on the lists of the major European markets. Perhaps League of Legends and Counter-Strike are exciting to watch, but require much more gaming expertise than most casual esports fans possess.
“Understanding the different sub-sectors of the industry is key to determining the right entry point— and brand alignment—within esports,” the report explains.
The report also dispels the notion that women aren’t esports fans. In large part, it is a male-dominated industry; however, women represent a significant portion of the fan base of some games. A comparison of fans across the markets reveals that while Counter-Strike might inherently attract a male-centric audience, plenty of women are interested in FIFA.
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To be sure, FIFA fans are far less avid gamers than fans of titles such as Overwatch, League of Legends, and Dota 2. This might also mean that women are likelier to be fans of sports-oriented games because of those games’ close relationship to traditional live sports.
Another point of note is the influence of brand sponsorships on esports. Since 2016, according to the report, over 600 sponsorship deals have been signed between a corporate entity and an esports team, league, or competition.
Following in line with the U.S.’s consumer culture, American esports fans favored corporate/brand sponsorships in esports more than fans from the European countries, though by a surprisingly small margin. Right behind America was France, then Germany. British esports fans were least in favor of “brand activity,” as Nielsen calls it, but even there, a majority (51%) support it.
Nicole Pike, who leads Nielsen’s esports global research and product team, wrote in the report that “Brands entering the esports space, in whatever capacity, need to have done their due diligence and homework, to understand not only their own objectives but also the audience, their habits and their preferences.”
The full report is available here.