Lockdown gives boost to Twitch and brand investment in e-sports

A summary of WARC's latest Global Advertising Trends research into e-sports and gaming.

Brand investment in e-sports is set to grow to $844m this year while Amazon-owned Twitch has only strengthened its control of the streaming market, according to WARC's latest Global Advertising Trends report.

Brand investment (advertising and sponsorship) in e-sports is set to rise 9.9% worldwide to $844m this year. Although less than half the rate of growth recorded in 2019, investment will return to double-digit growth from 2021 and its value will exceed $1bn in 2022.

The majority ($615m) will be spent on the sponsorship of competitors or the tournaments themselves. A further $229m will be spent on...

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