Germany Esports Market Overview, 2028

Esports is one of the world's fastest-growing industries, and the number of esports fans and supporters will reach more than 1 billion by 2028. Among the 25–34 age group, 15 percent play computer and video games competitively on a daily or weekly basis. These impressive numbers were announced by the German Games Industry Association in summer 2021, based on the data of a representative survey by the opinion research institute YouGov. A wide array of high-profile major tournaments is held in Germany. It is home to the prestigious League of Legends European Championship (LEC), it has played host to numerous stops in the ESL One event series, and IEM Cologne plays an important part in the competitive CS:GO calendar. There are some notable tournaments and leagues: League of Legends European Championship (LEC), Prime League, ESL Meisterschaft, Intel Extreme Master (IEM) Cologne, ESL One Germany 2020, ESL One Hamburg, ESL One Frankfurt, VCT Masters Berlin, VALORANT Champions 2021, and many more. Some notable eSports organisations are PENTA, SK Gaming, Berlin International Gaming (BIG), GamerLegion, FC Schalke 04 Esports, G2 Esports, MOUZ (mousesports), Sprout, Unicorns of Love, and many more. National associations in Germany include the eSport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD), the German Games Industry Association (GAME), and many more. According to the research report "Germany eSports Market Overview, 2028," published by Bonafide Research, the market is expected to add USD 130.32 million by 2028.Streaming is expected to dominate the segment share during the forecast period. The growing emphasis on fan engagement is likely to fuel demand for live sports events. Furthermore, the rise in smart phone users is expected to fuel demand for live sports tournaments. Media rights are making a significant contribution to the country's esports industry. Fans can now track live esports activity across the country thanks to easy access to communication technology. Media companies pay exorbitant fees to win the exclusive rights to broadcast live streaming of major sporting events. In recent years, the sale of broadcasting and media rights has been the most important source of revenue for most esports organizers. The revenue generated by the sale of media rights is used to fund major sporting events, renovate stadiums, and contribute to the grassroots development of esports. During the forecast period, sponsorship is expected to grow rapidly, followed by advertising. As the number of viewers grows, the sponsoring team invests in the platform to strengthen its brand image. Similarly, various gaming platforms include in-app advertisements to boost revenue generation.

Esports is highly regarded in Germany, but the scene continues to face challenges in gaining official recognition. In 2018, the German government agreed to recognise eSports as an official sport. Following that revelation, however, the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) stated that esports did not meet the criteria for recognition as a sporting activity, complicating its official status. Nonetheless, the government has continued to support esports. Following the announcement by the government in 2018, solutions were put in place to make it easier for esports players to obtain visas and compete in events. In the German Federal Foreign Office's Visa Handbook, esports is classified as a "sporting event," which simplifies the entry process for esports players and support staff. Germany provides a variety of higher education initiatives. This includes everything from competitive opportunities to eSports management courses. Degree programmes in esports and esports management are available at educational institutions such as HS Mittweida, Macromedia Fachhochschule, Hochschule für Angewandte Management, and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), among others. Furthermore, Uniliga, formerly known as University eSports Germany, is a collegiate esports organisation for German universities. It hosts inter-university championships in major esports titles and provides students with collegiate infrastructure. Uniliga also contributes to EURC, a pan-European collegiate Rocket League tournament that provides a path into developer Psyonix's Collegiate World Championship. Germany is already home to a number of internationally renowned competitions, including the ESL One tournaments in Cologne and Hamburg, the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), and the PUBG Global Invitational. Founded in Cologne in 2000, ESL Gaming has become the world’s largest esports company with numerous online and offline competitions across the most popular video games. League of Legends developer Riot Games has two offices in Berlin. Beyond that, world-famous esports organisations such as SK Gaming, G2 Esports, Alternate aTTaX, and Mousesports were founded in Germany and have their headquarters there as well. The more professional esports become, the more they will also develop their own system of clubs and associations. Game esports, a working group for game members who are actively involved with esports, is the central point of contact for policymakers, the media, society, and industry on all topics to do with esports. Game esports include a wide range of stakeholders in the esports ecosystem, such as video game developers, publishers, event organizers, and agencies. At the European level, games work closely with ISFE, which also brings together publishers and tournament organisers under the banner of ISFE Esports.

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Manmayi Raval

Research Consultant

Numerous factors, such as increased video game awareness and the popularity of Esports, are driving the country's growth in the Esports market. Long-term investment initiatives by large corporations, as well as an increase in the number of tournaments with large prize pools, create rewarding opportunities in the market during the forecast period. The growing use of smartphones in the world's developing economies is due to a variety of factors, including an increase in per capita income, affordability, multiple low-cost options with significant features, and many others. As the demand for esports events increases, it will create lucrative opportunities for the esports industry. As the esports business is still in its early stages, both organisations and players confront a number of challenges. Many tournament participants and gamers have difficulty determining the legitimacy of tournaments. With the increasing number of tournaments comes an increase in the number of scams and fraudsters, posing challenges for genuine and legitimate esports tournament organizers. The lack of standardisation in the esports industry reflects the ongoing difficulties that players, tournaments, teams, and their advertising, sponsorships, or contracts face. Considered in this report • Geography: Germany • Historic year: 2017 • Base year: 2022 • Estimated year: 2023 • Forecast year: 2028

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Aspects covered in this report • Germany eSports market with its value and forecast along with its segments • Various drivers and challenges • On-going trends and developments • Top profiled companies • Strategic recommendation By Revenue Streams: • Sponsorship • Media Rights • Merchandise & Tickets • Publisher Fees • Digital • Streaming By Device Type: • Mobile (Smartphone, Tablet) • PC (Laptop, Desktop) • Gaming Device (Console, Handheld Devices) • Other (VR, Smart TV, etc.) The approach of the report: This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, and annual reports of companies, analyzing the government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers into regional aspects, tier aspects, age groups, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources. Intended audience This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to the esport industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.