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WATCHING VIDEO GAMES
Is Now Bigger Than Traditional Spectator Sporting Events
by Darren Heitner Inc
A
fter hearing nonstop chatter about Epic
Games'Fortnite, I took the plunge and
downloaded it on Xbox One last week.
There is a steep learning curve, but I
became hooked, not only playing the battle royale
format against others, but even spending time
watching experts play on the popular streaming
service Twitch.
It was once unfathomable that I would actually
spend time watching other people play video
games, but now I absolutely understand the
intrigue and even see how it can be more enjoyable
than watching professional athletes perform on TV.
The aforesaid experience also helps me understand
these new eye-opening esports statistics provided
by Limelight Networks.
On average, young gamers (ages 18-25)
worldwide spend an average of 3 hours and 25
minutes each week watching other people play
video games online. That statistic is probably the
most powerful when it comes to explaining the
power of esports. The 3 hours and 25 minutes
spent is nearly an hour more than the 2 hours and
33 minutes they spend watching traditional sports.
Limelight used a group of 3,000 consumers ages
18 and older in France, Germany, Japan, South
Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States
and "gamer" was attached to anyone who said they
play video games at least once per week.
In the U.S., young gamers spend 3 hours and 26 minutes watching
people playing video games online, which is almost identical to the worldwide
statistic. However, Americans are still watching more traditional sports on TV,
indicating an average of 3 hours and 18 minutes watching traditional broadcast
sports.
Yet, the fact that Americans who consider themselves gamers are watching
more content on Twitch and YouTube than sports on stations like ESPN should be a
clear indication that there is a shift in content consumption, which may eventually
cause a change in the way that TV rights deals are valued.
"People aren't just playing video games anymore, they want to watch gamers
play," notes Limelight Senior Vice President of Operations Dan Carney. "Just look
at overnight sensation Fortnite, with YouTube reporting a record-high livestream
viewership at 1.1 million simultaneous viewers."
As viewership grows, esports and online gaming will continue to put pressure
on revenues from traditional sports.
"To keep pace with the growing demand, it's critical that esports-focused
businesses ensure content is accessible and provides the best possible
performance to keep gamers engaged," adds Carney. "We know speedy
performance and fast downloads are critical factors in online gaming, and the
same goes for platforms such as YouTube and Twitch with esports streams.
Rebuffering and lag times are unacceptable in the world of online gaming and
esports."
The Limelight study found that 77% of worldwide gamers have expressed
frustrations with downloading video games.
Another big takeaway for the gaming industry is the growth of casual gaming,
mostly driven by the smartphone, which was the top-rated device for gamers.
Gamers older than 60 are spending almost five hours a week playing these types
of games, indicating that the video game market should only expand with further
use and obsession with smartphones.