The Growth of eSports & The 2021 Lower League eCup

As COVID-19 has shelved many sporting activities and events over the past year, one area that continues to show solid signs of growth is that of eSports and Mobile Gaming, as sports fans confined at home found ways to make the most out of their time, both by playing and watching. As many major league sports such as MLS, NFL and even European Soccer leagues have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, the eSports marketplace continues to grow at a record pace.

According to Newzoo’s Global eSports Market Report, global eSports revenue was expected to grow by $1.1 billion in 2020, with over $800 million of that revenue coming from media rights and sponsorships. eSports viewership is taking off, which means new customers, known in the industry as eSports Enthusiasts, watching eSports competitions globally.

For brands seeking new ways to reach additional markets and new customers, eSports is an area you should strongly consider as a way to be more creative with your marketing budget. Brands can do this by sponsoring an eSports event, a team, or even individual eSports players which is another fast growing area of the eSports industry.

Here at Offside Marketing, we recently teamed up with the folks at the Lower League eCup, which is an annual nationwide FIFA (soccer video game) tournament for lower league soccer clubs, supporters, and players. The 2021 eCup features 119 entrants representing 74 different clubs, supporters groups, and media organizations across 5 divisions. We are proud and excited to be the 2021 Presenting Sponsor for the Lower Level eCup.

You can learn more about our partnership with the Lower Level eCup here in this recent story from Protagonist Soccer.