The European esports market
Insights and opportunities for esports in the Netherlands
Esports have become a significant part of popular culture, with the term widely recognised. New audiences are discovering esports, which is offering great opportunities for engagement. For sports and media organisations keen to explore the expanding esports market, understanding the audience is key.
Incorporating insights from the Deloitte 2024 Let’s Play! report, we will highlight the unique opportunities and challenges within the European esports landscape. By delving into the preferences, behaviours, and motivations of esports followers, we can uncover innovative ways to connect with this dynamic and hard-to-reach demographic. Join us as we navigate the exciting world of esports and discover how to capitalise on its opportunities.
Five highlights for the Dutch esports market
- Demographic insights: The esports audience in the Netherlands has a disproportionately high representation of young males, similar to the demographics of video gamers and traditional sports fans. This concentrated group presents a compelling target for activation strategies.
- Engagement patterns: A significant portion of the esports audience comprises one-off and occasional viewers. This trend creates an opportunity for organisations to implement multiple activation campaigns, ensuring minimal overlap.
- Awareness versus participation gap: While 85% of the Dutch population recognises the term "esports," only 35% actively participate in attending or watching esports events. This indicates a vast untapped market eager for engagement.
- Low reach among aware audience: Among those aware of esports in the Netherlands, only 41% are actively reached—ranking as the second-lowest in Europe, just above Switzerland. This highlights substantial growth potential in capturing interest from the Dutch audience.
- Limited regular engagement: Among the audience that is reached in the Netherlands, only 15% engage consistently with esports content. This figure is notably lower than in more mature markets like Germany (23%) and the United Kingdom (39%) which have similar awareness rates.
About the European esports market research
To help organisations make the most of these opportunities, Deloitte conducted a detailed survey with around 14,000 respondents aged 16 to 65 from 20 countries globally, including 9 from Europe. The research focuses on the European esports ecosystem and provides insights into the evolving audience trends and industry developments. By using these findings, sports and media organisations can initiate/create strategies to convert casual interest into regular engagement, ensuring they benefit from the growing potential of the esports market.
For more details and to access the full report, feel free to contact our team or download it directly. Reach out to our team today to explore the exciting opportunities within the dynamic esports industry.
