ESports betting to grow in 2020 as its audience grows to 600M

The future of eSports betting will become brighter three years from now as the number of its global audience will balloon to almost 600 million by 2020.

According to the latest report of market intelligence company Newzoo, the global eSports audience will reach 385 million in 2017 and is expected to grow by another 50 percent toward 2020.

Breaking down the data, Newzoo predicts that there will be 191 million eSports Enthusiasts and a further 194 million Occasional Viewers this year.

“Esports is not only growing exponentially as a new independent business and industry, it is also accelerating the convergence of various established industries,” Peter Warman, CEO at Newzoo, said in a statement. “For brands, media, and entertainment companies, esports provides a chance to capitalize on the favorite pastime of digital natives and Millennials: playing games and watching game content. With the arrival of live streams and events, gaming has entered the realm of broadcasters and media that can now apply their advertising business model to a market previously out of reach for them.”