It's essential to think of the esports opportunity in this way — one inclusive of gaming, media, pop culture, and commerce — as it shines a light on opportunities beyond gaming events alone.As a result, the industry has seen a huge uptick in investment from venture capitalists, and more recently from private equity firms. Matching the predictions from the 2019 edition of this study, 77 per cent of the organisations stated that they managed to increase their revenues compared to 2018, accompanied by a boost in user numbers. As the industry continues to grow, awareness has prompted investment from some of the major spenders in advertising such as Coca-Cola and Audi. One of the biggest signings has been Manchester United and French International Paul Pogba, who has joined Verdansk FC eSports team to play Call of Duty. There is still significant experimentation going on within the industry, and market participants are learning fast, as two experts substantiate in interviews conducted for this report. Unlike the majority of traditional sports leagues, esports companies wear multiple hats within the industry – simultaneously working as competition organisers, rights holders and content creators. The worldwide audience grew by 12 per cent in 2019, reaching 443 million people, with Europe being one of the esports hotspots after Asia and North America.To get a clear picture of the European esports market, Deloitte ran two extensive surveys focussed on the different segments of the European esports industry, the direct market participants and company representatives from across the industry.In June 2020, a consumer survey was conducted with 12,000 people in eight European countries to capture the audience’s characteristics, as well as to record the impact of COVID-19 on consumption behaviour. ✂️ ⚽️ Key opportunities, trends, and challenges.A podcast by our professionals who share a sneak peek at life inside Deloitte.Discover Deloitte and learn more about our people and culture.The European esports market experienced further growth in 2019 with most companies increasing their revenues. This is particularly true in some key areas that he thinks are essential to building a more sustainable ecosystem for the industry.In October, Cloud9 became the world's most valuable esports team after raising $50 million in Series B funding, leading,Those numbers have attracted attention from a number celebrities, including basketball legend Michael Jordan, who.Meanwhile, big-time investors like Mark Cuban have also taken stakes in esports-related entities for years, and traditional sports moguls have bought in. It has become a lucrative business with increased sponsorship and partnerships available across the ecosystem.Football as an industry has been quick to react to the professionalization of eSports with clubs and national teams signing their own eSports teams to compete against each other. Our work draws on Deloitte’s global network and combines expertise in auditing, tax and legal, financial and risk advisory as well as consulting with the industry expertise of the Sports Business Group. Learn to make money by investing in esports, a young industry with many big wins waiting to be found. The report highlights the role of intellectual property and IPRs (intellectual property rights) for the esports ecosystem, and shows how esports would barely be able to exist without them.The industry developments in 2019 and to this point in 2020 underline the ecosystem’s dynamic and innovative character. In 2018, a rush of non-gaming companies, from autos to telecom, struck deals and sponsored events, leagues and teams alongside more traditional tech and gaming-related names.According to Naz Aletaha, head of esports partnerships at Riot Games, "our audience is predominantly digital first and that gives us different opportunities to engage in meaningful ways. While some organisations were able to continue or even expand their business activities, others were forced to shut down their operations temporarily.So, while the esports sector may appear to have coped better with the crisis than other industries, the numbers displayed in the 2020.Due to the global activity and increasing interdependence within the ecosystem, the regulatory demands on stakeholders in the esports world are growing. "To me it feels like we've broken a barrier that we've never attained before in esports. After a record-setting €3.6 billion in global transaction volume in 2018, the market saw mergers and acquisitions worth approximately €1.7 billion in 2019.Nevertheless, company representatives from the strategic partners interviewed for this study report that their previous investments/sponsorships developed positively in 2019. Competing globally and attracting thousands of fans both live arenas and large online viewership on Twitch and Youtube. Please see,COVID-19 changes the ecosystem’s dynamics,Regulatory demands increasingly being made on the esports industry,The industry is not yet fully structured, and there are no limits to thinking.Email a customized link that shows your highlighted text.Copy a customized link that shows your highlighted text.to receive more business insights, analysis, and perspectives from Deloitte Insights,Financial Risk, Transactions & Restructuring,Telecommunications, Media & Entertainment,Telecom, media & entertainment collection.Can 5G unleash next-generation digital experiences in the home?TMT Predictions 2020: Revised due to COVID-19 pandemic,Digital media trends survey, executive summary,Digital media segments: Looking beyond generations,Cloud gaming and the future of social interactive media.