In a collaboration between IIDEA and Nielsen, it was revealed in a new report how much eSports is followed in Italy
Esports is an industry growing all over the globe: in the United States they now have a consolidated and extremely important position, with individuals reaching almost a celebrity status, and where numerous important tournaments and events for this category of videogame sport are hosted. Moreover, even in Europe eSports continue to spread, albeit at a slightly slower speed. France aims to be one of the first exponents eSports, and as far as Italy is concerned, thanks to a new report by the IIDEA and Nielsen association, we can find out how much they are currently followed.
Nielsen and IIDEA and the report on eSports in Italy
According to the report published by Nielsen and IIDEA, in Italy almost half a million people follows daily eSports events (to be precise, approx 475 mila “Avid fan”). In addition to this, the catchment area further expands to approx 1,620,000 people, among which are also considered those who claim to follow an eSports event several times a week (called “esports fans”). From what appears, it can be seen that the number is more than stable when compared to that detected in a previous report, which goes to show how the interest in eSports is in the consolidation phaseeven for those who approached this form of entertainment out of curiosity (perhaps thanks to the restrictions during the pandemic).
The report also went on to focus on analyzing the eSports enthusiast users of Fan Token e NFT. The President of IIDEA, Marco Saletta, affirmed how eSports now permanently occupy the first positions among the entertainment activities preferred by Italians. The easing of the emergency measures in recent months has also not affected the number of fans conquered by the pandemic period, demonstrating how eSports are able to involve and thrill in a totally genuine way. Furthermore, together with the fanbase, the professionalism of the Italian operators has also grown, demonstrating an entrepreneurial ability and a deep knowledge of the dynamics of the market.
Here are some interesting facts found in the report:
- Main eSports fans in Italy: men between 21-40 years old (63%), average age 28, education and income above the population average. 56% of avid fans say a university education, 63% monthly income over 1500 euros. 37% of avid fans follow eSports since at least 3 years. The largest fanbase devotes on average 4,8 ore per week to eSports, 59% of fans dedicate from 2 to 7 hours per week.
- The most played videogame genre: on consoles it is the sports genre, followed by shooters (more on PC), Battle Royale, MOBA. On mobile the strategic prevail.
- The most used devices to follow eSports events: computers (56%), smartphones (54%)
In addition, the eSports fanbase claims to have one greater knowledge of fan tokens and NFTs (67%), but the level of interest is lower than with football and motorsport fans. Esports fans show a higher interest in rights related to content exclusivity or prizes and discounts for merchandising or ticketing. For the most passionate fans, active participation in team initiatives and being able to participate in exclusive forums or chats are also aspects of interest.
NFT content related to gaming (cards or skins) are those that arouse interest both among the fanbase and among avid fans, while the other types (videos, photos, images) have a greater appeal among the target of the most passionate. The reasons for esports fans to buy tokens are related to investment logic, enjoyment of rights deriving from possession and also from the more playful aspect of these assets, characterizing factors compared to fans of other sports who are instead more attracted to aspects related to a new type of “Sports memorabilia” and the ability to participate in the activities of their favorite team.
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