Rise of the backseat gamers to drive eSports, Let’s Play revenues

The rapid rise in consumption of eSports and ‘Let’s Play’ (commentary on streams of gameplay) will see revenues rise from $1.8 billion this year to $3.5 billion by 2021. While the subscription model, such as Twitch, is set to contribute significantly, Juniper reveals that 90% of eSports and Let’s Play viewers will watch ad-supported streams in 2021.

According to Juniper, the popularity of both eSports and Let’s Play be be put down to two major factors. One, gamers are looking for a new title to play or to improve their gameplay in an existing game, and two, the growing popularity of broadcasters, such as PewDiePie, using both eSports and Let’s Play footage in their videos.

The report, ‘eSports and Let’s Plays – The Rise of the Backseat Gamer‘ also reveals that content has begun to be monetized by means other than advertising. Sales of merchandise, time-limited content (such as in-game items) and access passes will all contribute to drive the industry forward.