According to a study on “2019 Future of Gaming” from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), 70 percent of Americans aged 13 to 64, an estimated 192 million people, currently play electronic games. This significant demographic shift over the last ten years has largely been sparked by the introduction of live game streaming services, which have added a social and connected experience. The study defined gamers as those who played video games at least one hour over the past three months. CTA published a second report on the growth of eSports.

VentureBeat reports that, of the 192 million total players, 94 million played “primarily” on gaming consoles, 66 million on smartphones/tablets and 22 million on PCs.

“Gaming is the foundation of a much broader engagement between consumers and the industry today, one that mirrors TV entertainment and even professional sports,” said CTA director of research Lesley Rohrbaugh. “While it’s still only a pastime for some, gaming represents an active social channel for a growing number of consumers.”

The study further found that 60 percent of gamers “now play games with or against others online, including 40 percent with or against people they don’t know.” The key reasons they gave for playing games were “relieving stress and boredom, escapism, competition, and sense of achievement.”

The second new CTA study, “E-sports 2019: Landscape & Opportunities,” estimated that the U.S. fan base will grow from 21 million in 2018 to 27 million in 2022 and that the global fan base will leap 90 percent “from 355 million in 2018 to 674 million in 2022.” ESports investment in 2018 totaled $4.4 billion, “from venture capitalists, private equity firms, wealthy individuals, traditional sports teams and corporate investors.”

Meanwhile, eSports sponsorship revenues grew from $342 million in 2018 to $470 million in 2019, and advertising revenue rose from $176 million to $220 million. Rohrbaugh noted that, whereas gaming gear and sport drink companies were early sponsors, “over the last two years, we are seeing a range of other sponsors, ranging from financial and educational institutions to automakers.”

“The 2019 Future of Gaming” study was composed of an online sample of 2,047 U.S. consumers (ages 13-64) and was collected between September 13 to September 20, 2019. The eSports study “includes secondary research from sources such as major game publishers, streaming video platforms, eSports teams and technology companies.” New Media Measure provided consumer data on gaming and eSports.