The NPD Group Reports on Consumer Viewing Habits of eSports, Streaming Gameplay

According to eSports and Streaming Gameplay, the latest report from The NPD Group, 44 percent of current gamers have watched either formal eSports competitions or informal video streaming of gameplay in the past six months.

These gamers average close to three hours per watching session, with 18 percent watching some form of video game play on a daily basis, and another 46 percent watching weekly.
Similar to watching others play traditional sports, such as football or basketball, many video game players are engaged in the experience of watching other gamers play.

Even when focused on competitive eSports, the game being played itself consistently attracts viewers. Watchers are most influenced by the game, followed by the quality of the commentators and the team and players. Neither the size of the tournament nor the prize pool played a noticeable role in attracting viewers.

Two-thirds of gamers are currently playing the game they indicate watching the most, with a sizeable group of gamers playing games they discovered by watching. This parallels another strong motivator to watching others play: wanting to better understand a game about which they know little. Similarly, 69 percent have purchased either a full game or downloadable content because they saw someone playing it online.

About the author

Maddie Michalik

Maddie Michalik

Maddie Michalik was the Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book from 2020-2022. She was also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider.

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