Related Stories<\/b><\/p>\n In a session delving into the latest research about esports fans and live esports events, lead researchers from Conventions, Sports & Leisure International<\/a> and YouGov<\/a> presented data that show fans not only want to travel, but they are highly interested in attending live events. The data also showed that nearly nine out of 10 destinations are interested in hosting esports events.<\/p>\n For context, studies show esports fans have watched 750 billion hours of gaming on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube in 2020, including the months of the pandemic. \u201cThat\u2019s 10 times the number of hours that\u2019s been watched of Netflix,\u201d said Tyler Othen<\/strong>, project manager for CSL, which conducted its fan surveys in conjunction with the Esports Entry Advisory<\/a>. \u201cThat starts to hammer home how big this market could be.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to live esports events, Othen noted that professional esports leagues were heading out to local markets for their franchised teams before the pandemic hit. When events return, he said, those fans\u2014combined with the new fans esports have reached online since March\u2014will be poised to travel to events. \u201cI think fans had been excited about the prospect of this and then had it taken away,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I expect there to be some pent-up demand.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the combined findings from the research of CSL and YouGov:<\/p>\n Othen and Nicole Pike<\/strong>, the global sector head of esports and gaming for YouGov, said esports remained poised for a rebound when it comes to travel in part because the industry has gained so many new fans during the pandemic. \u201cI think a lot of the in-person event industries are going to rebound,\u201d Othen said. \u201cBut esports is particularly positioned well because people have been introduced during the pandemic not just into gaming but into esports.\u201d<\/p>\n The data compiled by CSL and the Esports Entry Advisory was among the first to answer the key question perplexing destinations that are seeking to host to esports events: Will fans travel?<\/p>\n The answer, according to the research, is a resounding yes.<\/p>\n Just over 67 percent of 1,300 esports fans surveyed by CSL in the United States said they would definitely, likely or maybe attend an esports live event when those competitions return. But only 17 percent indicated they had previously attended an in-person esports event, which Othen said is an opportunity for destinations and event organizers.<\/p>\n Click here to download the CSL\/Esports Entry Advisory research<\/a><\/strong> \u201cI think the opportunity here is that these are multi-day events often very much like an amateur sports tournament,\u201d Othen said. \u201cYou\u2019re talking about something that could surpass what concerts do on room nights but could get up to those large amateur sports levels in terms of room nights.\u201d<\/p>\n Othen\u2019s group also surveyed venues and destinations, which showed a strong willingness to host events in the future. According to the research, 38 percent of venues have already hosted an esports event while 41 percent of destinations had experience hosting such events as well.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you were to ask me about two years ago my guess is it would have been half this figure,\u201d Othen said of those statistics. \u201cIt shows the growth taking place out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Of the venues and destinations surveyed, 58 percent of venues and 63 percent of CVBs expressed a \u201chighly significant\u201d interest in hosting future events.<\/p>\n YouGov\u2019s new research, meanwhile, delved into how esports fans compare to the general public when it comes to their willingness to travel. And the data show that esports fans outperform the general population when it comes to their willingness to explore new places.<\/p>\n When asked if they agreed with the statement \u201cI am passionate about traveling,\u201d 70 percent of esports fans said yes, compared with 50 percent of the population. Another 66 percent of esports fans said they are \u201cexcited to generally spend more when traveling\u201d compared to 43 percent of the population, a statistic that Pike, the lead esports researcher at YouGov, said bodes well for esports fans\u2019 willingness to travel and spend money when they visit a destination.<\/p>\n The YouGov research also showed that esports fans want to explore the destinations they visit, including opportunities to visit a beach, lake, mountain or countryside.<\/p>\n \u201cEsports fans want a city break, something they can do for a three-day weekend,\u201d she said. \u201cEsports fans are more likely to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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Esports Fans Will Travel<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nIn addition, nearly 50 percent of fans surveyed said they would travel more than one hour for an event, with nearly one in five saying they would travel more than three hours to attend. On top of that, nearly 55 percent said they would maybe, likely or definitely pay for a hotel room for an event.<\/p>\nEsports Fans Vs. the General Population<\/strong><\/h2>\n