Is esports an untapped market in Australia for advertisers?
The potential of esports and gaming to tap into hard-to-reach consumer segments has long been agreed on within the media and marketing industry. So what’s stopping greater uptake by brands and advertisers? Mumbrella’s Zanda Wilson investigates.
Esports is a divisive topic among advertisers and gaming companies in Australia. Some in the industry, including those who run esports tournaments, believe that the market is yet to be fully tapped by marketers.
Experts at specialist gaming agencies point to brands making the mistake of approaching esports and gaming with a traditional media mindset, while media buyers express frustration that clients either throw investment in the ‘too hard’ basket, or expect to get returns without bothering to learn the intricacies of how to approach the area.
What’s not up for debate is the growth in engagement with esports and gaming. According to Roy Morgan data from December 2020, 5.5 million Aussies played video games in the past three months. Specifically looking at esports, The Newzoo Global Esports & Live Streaming Market Report (2021) places Australia’s current esports audience at 2.3 million.
