Asia and MENA generate over 56% of total global esports revenue

According to a recent analysis by Niko Partners, a company that specializes in esports market research, the Asia and MENA regions account for more than 56% of the total revenue made by the global esports business in 2022.

An extensive report from Niko Partners, an esports marketing research company, offered insightful information about the rapidly expanding esports market in Asia and MENA. The report highlighted China’s dominance and other regions’ impressive growth, as well as the market’s rapid expansion in other parts of the world, including India, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Asia and the MENA region accounted for 56% of the worldwide esports revenue last year, according to the report from Niko Partners. Esports revenue in 2022 was $1.3 billion, of which $445 million came from just China.

Image Credit: Niko Partners

The Niko Partners research estimates the size of the global esports market using revenue from several esports ecosystem components, including sponsorships, media licensing, team franchising, ticket sales, and live-streaming agreements for esports events. Niko Partners also conducted conversations with business executives, examined streaming data, examined corporate financials, and used gamer surveys to get the information for the 71-page research.

Esports Boom in Asia

The detailed analysis pegged the number of esports fans in the ten Asian markets—including important ones like India, Japan, and other Southeast Asian nations—at 742 million. India, which boasts the second-largest population of gamers worldwide, made remarkable progress.

With revenue growth forecasts of 21% over the next five years, the nation currently accounts for 50.4% of players in the Asia-10 market. The Philippines and Thailand are also among the markets with the fastest growth in terms of gaming revenue and player base, according to the report.

Niko Partners also stated that the Asia-10 market will experience a significant uptick, with the region expected to generate $41.4 billion in revenue in 2026. According to a California-based market research and consultancy business, the size of the gaming market in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to rise 19% to more than $5 billion by 2025.

According to a report by the consultancy RedSeer, the market’s growth would be fueled by rising investment by current players, higher user engagement, and rising ad revenue. Furthermore, by 2025, the gaming industry in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt is projected to be worth $3.14 billion. The research company pointed out further aspects that will benefit the gaming sector, such as the introduction of 5G, decreased GPU costs, and accessibility of gaming consoles in the region.

 

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