Esports is becoming a significant part of sports marketing in India

    Esports is attracting many brand partners and companies with a promise of heightened reach, access and engagement. The category is becoming the top choice among marketers owing to its exponential growth in India

    Brands into India’s Esports Industry Brands into India’s Esports Industry

    India is on track to become the fastest-growing market for spectators of esports events. A study by business intelligence firm Statista found that there were 17 million viewers of esports in India during the 2021 financial year, almost double the number of viewers in the 2019 financial year. The number of esports spectators in India is set to reach an estimated 85 million in the 2025 financial year, according to Statista.

    Esports in India have achieved mainstream status. Some of the most prominent esports tournaments in the country are available for spectators on OTT platforms such as Voot, JioTV, SonyLiv, Hotstar and MX Playe. It has helped esports generate more content and get more ad time. Therefore, making esports a crucial part of India's ever-evolving sports marketing landscape.

    Vice-Chairman & Managing Director of JetSynthesys, Rajan Navani said, "Esports is where the millennial and Gen Z audience is, and that's what marketers are after. This is the audience set that no longer watches TV or reads the newspaper. They are online, and they are playing games and watching e-sports tournaments. That apart, esports as a category is driven by communities, making targeting all the easier for marketers.

    Rajan Navani has also estimated that brands have increased their ad spend budget in esports by 30% to 50% over the last two years to tap into the traffic coming from the stay-at-home crowd. Esports is now considered an attractive option for brands to connect with the empowered and young Gen Z.

    Several well-known brands such as Flipkart, BookMyShow, Red Bull, Mercedes-Benz, Yes Bank, Pepsi, Airtel, and many more are already working with esports tournaments and platforms to make the most of the growing space as early adopters of the segment. 

    The economic value of sports in India had been predicted to have a Compound annual growth rate of 46% over the next four years, with a significant chunk of the revenue coming from the streaming platforms. The tournament sponsorship revenue will likely touch a whopping INR 3.5 billion in the same period.

    The interest of brands in the esports segment is increasing. The industry experts have predicted that the number of brands showing interest will only grow from here, with 100 brands investing in the segment in 2022.

     

     

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