China is set to overtake the United States as the highest-earning eSports country in 2019, according to data.
The report, which combined market data from the last 20 years to predict the average winnings for the next five years, predicts eSports earnings will continue to rise in 2019 as the sports popularity increases.
The sports huge popularity in China will help to bolster its earnings with the country expected to make more than $45m, a significant increase on the United States which claimed $28m in earnings in 2018.
The report predicts the earnings of the top five players will increase by 39.6% from more than $2m in 2018 to earn over $3m in 2019.
The ‘How to Become An eSports Champion’ report was created by eSports prediction company BetHut, in a bid to showcase the growing popularity of the sport.
It follows a report by eMarketer, which cited research by PwC, which found eSports revenues totalled $805m in 2018, led by sponsorships ($277m), media rights ($181m) and streaming advertisements ($163m). The report predicts global eSports revenues will increase by 18.4% annually to reach $1.58bn by 2022.
The report also highlighted findings by Newzoo, which found eSports viewers are expected to reach 557 million globally by 2021, up from 380 million in 2018. Brand investments in eSports, including advertising and sponsorships are expected to double from $694m in 2018 to $1.39bn by 2021 as marketers increasingly invest in the booming sport.
Paul Verna, principal analyst at eMarketer, said: “Marketers who try to reach eSports fans through video ads will be able to tap into the sophisticated targeting and measurement capabilities that streaming services offer. In that sense, there’s more value to a marketer in attaching itself to game streams than sponsoring an event or team. It’s all about harnessing data.”