2025
9
UK eSports Market Report 2025
2025-12-22T12:01:55+00:00
REPB6824885_0B86_44E5_96D1_82CF16829F48
2195
189902
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Report
en_GB
54% of gamers say esports has become more popular in the last year. It shows genuine mainstream cultural acceptance, with esports moving beyond niche to…
UK
Gaming
simple

UK eSports Market Report 2025

"eSports provide a valuable opportunity to connect with highly engaged audiences. Expanding through live events and strategic brand collaborations can capitalise on rising prominence and credibility."

Joe Birch, Senior Technology and Leisure Analyst

Joe Birch, Senior Technology and Leisure Analyst

UK eSports Industry – Trends and Insights

  • 54% of UK gamers say eSports has become more popular in the last year. It shows genuine mainstream cultural acceptance, with esports moving beyond niche to normalised entertainment and legitimacy. Its position at the apex of sports and entertainment crossover can help esports continue to drive its appeal.
  • eSports fans are by nature an engaged segment of consumers. 28% of fans have interacted with a brand sponsor on social media, and 21% have purchased esports content from a brand sponsor. It shows that brands have opportunities to have authentic and meaningful interactions with fans.
  • Despite a growing legitimacy around esports, unlike traditional sports, there is no unified governing body, with game publishers controlling competitive rules and tournament structures. This fragmentation can hamper the industry’s growth potential and professional development. Game publishers retain exclusive control over esports ecosystems and tournaments, rule setting and licensing cementing esports around key titles. In this ecosystem, smaller independent game developers struggle to breakthrough, and players leaving for international franchises, making esports power concentrated.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the esports market
  • How technology will shape the way esports are consumed, played and experienced, both online and in live events
  • Key factors affecting the growth of esports in the UK, and the implications for brands and sponsors hoping to engage with esports consumers
  • Consumer participation in gaming and esports both online and at live events, the key games they play and watch, and how diversity in the live events space is driving a broader appeal of esports
  • How consumers interact with brands and sponsors in the esports space, and how brands can use esports to reach engaged audiences
  • Consumer attitudes towards esports including how brands can tap into the commercial opportunities of its growing legitimacy

Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for esports
    • Opportunities
    • Esports’ legitimacy offers a chance to help build connection outside of core audiences
    • Strengthen esports fandom with tangibles and community interaction
    • Drive esports appeal with hybrid live events and cultural crossovers
  2. THE MARKET

    • Market background
    • Esports governance creates an evolving regulatory landscape
    • Global esports live streaming continues to grow
    • Graph 1: total esports viewership by hours watched across all platforms, 2019-25
    • UK esports viewership significantly boosted by League of Legends streamer
    • Graph 2: total esports viewership by hours watched across all platforms, 2019-25
    • Twitch dominates the global live streaming space
    • Graph 3: top 5 live streaming platforms* by hours watched, Q3 vs Q2 2025
    • YouTube makes gains amidst Twitch’s viewbotting crackdown
    • Graph 4: top 3 live streaming platforms* by hours watched, Q3 vs Q2 2025
    • Global video gaming revenue is forecasted for slow and steady growth of 3.4%
    • Graph 5: global video game industry revenue, 2022-28
    • Market drivers
    • Despite some improvement in financial sentiment, consumers are still cautious
    • Graph 6: index of financial sentiment in the next year, 2016-25
    • IOC dents Saudi esports Olympic ambitions
    • UK aims to push itself as a leader in esports with high-profile live events
    • International prize pool stabilises
    • Graph 7: The International tournament prize pool by year, 2025
    • AI and immersive technologies will drive esports experiences for players and viewers
    • AI can feed consumers’ creative side
    • Increasing use of Extended Reality will broaden esports beyond the screen
    • Graph 8: interest in and use of VR, 2024
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Gaming behaviours
    • Over a third of consumers have watched professional video game competitions
    • Graph 9: video gaming activities undertaken in the last six months, by platform, 2025
    • Gaming is a key entertainment medium for men
    • Live and online esports can have mutually beneficial upsides
    • Graph 10: frequency of watching gaming content past three months, 2025
    • Broaden esports’ appeal by tapping into influencer and celebrity tie-ups
    • Graph 11: esports interaction, by generation, 2025
    • Esports viewing is driven by young men, but women also show strong engagement
    • Engagement with esports games
    • Top three dominate playing space, but crossover esports challenges can appeal
    • Graph 12: esports titles played in the past six months, 2025
    • Not just games for boys – create female-dedicated competitions to unlock new reach
    • Leverage the premium upside of collaborations
    • Crossover appeal of esports genres show opportunity for niche streaming offering
    • Graph 13: esports titles watched, 2025
    • Call of Duty’s generational appeal can drive wider commercial opportunites
    • Graph 14: esports titles watched in the past six months, by generation 2025
    • Engage young esports fans with celebrity and influencer tournaments
    • Leverage dual behaviour of watching and playing in novel experiences
    • Interaction with esports
    • Esports fans exercise their engagement in measurable ways
    • Graph 15: esports-related behaviours, 2025
    • Younger women drive esports merch purchasing
    • In-game live-betting can appeal to digitally native consumers
    • Esports and live events
    • Leveraging esports’ appeal in the wider entertainment ecosystem
    • Graph 16: interest in esports crossover live events, 2025
    • Gamify fitness through novel esports inspired workouts
    • Expanding esports’ audience through live events and entertainment crossovers
    • Highlight the upside of esports in skill development
    • Graph 17: interest in esports learning opportunites, 2025
    • Attitudes towards esports
    • Esports’ legitimacy offers a chance to help build connections outside of core audiences
    • Graph 18: attitudes towards esports, 2025
    • Esports can be a way to diversify leisure and hospitality spaces
    • Build novelty with esports content with celebrity battles
    • Graph 19: attitudes towards esports viewing content, 2025
    • From consumer to creator, AI can push UGC in gaming worlds
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Launch activity and innovation
    • ‘St George’s Park’ for esports to open in 2026
    • MOD to host first military industry tournament
    • Sunderland acts as a showcase for ultra-fast network technologies underpinning esports
    • Esports’ influence grows beyond just pure entertainment
    • Esports festival launches in Scotland
    • Marvel Rivals franchise attracts UK esports teams
    • Record viewing figures and grassroots power esports’ future
    • Guild esports and Sky Broadband launch women-focused esports initiative
  5. APPENDIX

    • Report scope and definitions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Consumer research questions
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • Other data source methodologies
    • Abbreviations and terms

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