Around the globe, eSports is rapidly gaining popularity with millions of fans and billions of dollars up for grabs. The competitive, organized video gaming had attracted 488 million users in China in 2022. The country has become one of the largest eSports powerhouses in the world, with rising numbers of female viewers and players in eSports leagues.
Rising participation of women in competitive gaming
While eSports gaming is male-dominated to a great extent, female fans accounted for about a quarter in China. Several consumer surveys have found that females are more willing to fly to attend an overseas eSports event and spend more on related merchandise. On the other side, the landmark victory of Chinese female player Li Xiaomeng has not only encouraged more Chinese women to go pro, but has also attracted a lot of young, female viewers. As the leading female Chinese eSports gamer, Li was the first woman to win a Hearthstone Grandmasters championship and a BlizzCon tournament in November 2019. In the long term, the eSports industry needs to address the gender gap as more and more female consumers want to see women represented in eSports tournaments.
Number of eSports users in China from 2016 to 2022
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Number of users in millions
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China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association. (February 17, 2023). Number of eSports users in China from 2016 to 2022 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 18, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1018969/china-esports-game-user-number/
China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association. "Number of eSports users in China from 2016 to 2022 (in millions)." Chart. February 17, 2023. Statista. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1018969/china-esports-game-user-number/
China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association. (2023). Number of eSports users in China from 2016 to 2022 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 18, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1018969/china-esports-game-user-number/
China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association. "Number of Esports Users in China from 2016 to 2022 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 17 Feb 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1018969/china-esports-game-user-number/
China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association, Number of eSports users in China from 2016 to 2022 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1018969/china-esports-game-user-number/ (last visited June 18, 2024)
Number of eSports users in China from 2016 to 2022 (in millions) [Graph], China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association, February 17, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1018969/china-esports-game-user-number/