eSports viewers hate hockey; VGambling to turn Antigua casino into eSports venue

Watching eSports is as popular as watching baseball or hockey with US male millennials, according to a new survey.

Market researchers Newzoo are flogging a new report that shows 22% of US males between 21 and 35 years of age admit to watching eSports matches frequently. That’s only marginally less than the same number who cop to watching baseball and a couple points higher than those who enjoy watching hockey games.

eSports’ appeal among millennials pales in comparison to the 42% who regularly check out basketball games or the 43% who enjoy watching football. However, 56% of NFL viewers are over 35 years old, while just 27% of eSports viewers are in that same age bracket, meaning time is on eSports’ side.

The overlap between eSports and other sports is closest with basketball. There are roughly 20m eSports fans, of whom 9.6m also check out basketball games. Compare that to 8.7m eSports fans who watch football games, 6.6m who admit watching baseball while just 3.5m eSports fans cop to watching pucks drop.