Over the last five years or so, the esports industry has seen crazy growth.

We have come a long way from the days of the Space Invaders tournament - the competitive gaming event that set the esports world on fire.

In 2019, organizers of esports competitions are filling arenas with millions of fans watching their favorite players play their favorite games.

What has ignited the incredible rise of the esports sector and what does the future hold for this growing industry? Take a look at the infographic made by the NJ Games team to find out.

Esports enthusiasts count in hundreds of millions

Esports is becoming mainstream, and that’s a fact. In 2012 the esports audience counted 124 million sports enthusiasts.

However, the already huge number went up to a staggering 335 million viewers back in 2017 and the projections for 2021 claim some 557 million esports enthusiasts worldwide!

The Business Potential of Esports

In terms of demographics, the statistics have revealed that the composition of esports fans are not disproportionately male and young as one would assume. While there is more men participating in esports, 38% of esports fans are women.

Another surprising fact is that 56% of the fans belong in the age group of 21-35, which is obviously older than the stereotyped high school and college age. It also shows the commercial potential of esports as a business.

Revenue Projections in Billions of Dollars

Apparently, video gaming is a spectator sport as 40% of the viewers don’t play the game they watch. This files esports among the entertainment industries.

By raking in $468 million in revenue in 2017, the video gaming market has become one of, if not the fastest growing entertainment industry in the world.

It’s projected that the esports industry will bring in $1.385 bn by 2021.

As already noted, esports is rapidly emerging as a real sport. It’s even beginning to compete with traditional sports.

Revenue streams in esports are drawn from a variety of sources, just like it is the case with traditional sport: advertising, game publisher fees, sponsorship, media rights, merchandise, event tickets.

Scroll through the infographic below to learn more and also check out our directory of blockchain gaming companies and development studios.