The video game company Atari created the first eSports event. In 1980, around 10.000 participants were attracted by the Space Invaders Championship.
In reality, the first eSports event happened a long time ago, in the October of 1972 at Stamford University. The students competed in the video game Spacewar! (developed in 1962) for the grand prize, a year-long subscription to the Rolling Stones magazine.
Prize Pool
The prize pool is the amount of money collected to award as prizes to players in a tournament, and one of the most important sources of income for players.
The International 2019 was the most-watched Dota 2 event ever, with a peak of over 1.97 million viewers, and a total prize pool of $34,300,000. The winner, OG, becomes the first repeat TI champion and went home with a total prize of $15,620,181.00, divided five ways, yields over $3.1 million for each player.
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Search for the biggest prize pool in esports here
Salaries
eSports salaries vary by team and players. Teams must pay each player a minimum of $12500 for the 28-match season.
Most professional players in high-profile eSport games will make between $4,000-$5,000 per month or $50,000 – $60,000 a year on average.
Sponsored by Brands
When it comes to esports teams, approximately 80% of their revenue comes from advertising and sponsorships. Gamers are paid to wear their logo on clothing, similar to other sports or for product placement.
The BMW Group recently announced a major expansion of its involvement in the esports world. “United in Rivalry” is the name of BMW’s global partnership campaign that collaborates with five leading esports organizations: Cloud9 (USA), Fnatic (UK), FunPlus Phoenix (China), G2 Sports (Germany), and T1 (South Korea).
As well as BMW, Nike also developed a partnership with LPL: League of Legends Pro League, China. It sponsors team apparel for all teams that are involved with the League and has released LPL team jerseys that went on sale in late 2019.
Streaming and Content Creation
Other sponsorship revenues might come through sponsored videos ($5,000 for a 30-second ad on Youtube) and live appearances (range between $5,000 and $10,000).
How Much Do Twitch Streamers With 1000 Viewers Make?
With 1,000 viewers, your earnings will depend on how many subscribers you have and how often you stream. Twitch streams always start with an ad, besides this streamers can push the “ad button” at any time to push an ad to their viewers. The Cost per mille (CPM) varies based on season and demand, but averages between $2 and $10 per 1,000 views.
Twitch streamers earn 50% of the subscription fees, which are available in increments of $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99 per month. If even 300 of your viewers subscribed to the lowest tier subscription ($4.99), you’d make $750 per month.
Ticket Sales and Merchandise
A professional gamer can earn at least $3-4 from a single t-shirt sale, depending on the material and style of the product that could affect the price. According to a 2019 report, revenue from ticket sales and merchandise in the eSports market is expected to increase from $4.42 million in 2017 to over $63 million in 2023.
Other Ways to Win Money in Gaming Industry
Broadcasters
Up to $1,000 per broadcast.
Coaches and managers
The best coaches can earn over $80,000 annually.
Media and writers
About $35,000 annually
Event manager
You can earn an annual salary of about $90,000.
Marketing specialists
You can earn up to $40,000 every year.
Key Facts
- Dota 2 is the most popular eSport
- In 2017 esports generate at least $655M in revenue, expected to surpass $1.6B in 2024
- The most successful esports teams are Evil Geniuses, FNATIC, Natus Vincere, Faze, Ninjas in Pyjamas.
- Almost any game where players compete can be an esports game.
- Esports is so popular, Comcast is constructing a $50 million arena so fans can watch live.
- Kids of all ages can compete and win money through esports.
- There are currently about 222.9m esports enthusiasts in the entire world (Newzoo).
How Much Do eSports Players Make?
Is it worth playing games? Take a look at these professional players’ incomes.
Johan Sundstein
The 26-year-old has earned almost $6,983,817.80 playing in 129 tournaments to date, making him a leader in the eSports earning game.
Anathan Pham
Pham is one of the youngest players on the eSports tour, at 21 (10.1999) won so far $6,008,163 playing Dota2 as a member of OG with two Majors in 2016 and 2017 as well as back-to-back TI championships in 2018 and 2019.
Jesse Vainikka
At $6.47 million in career earnings, the 27-year-old Finland native is the second highest income earned in the eSports arena with 65 tournaments.
Benefits of eSports
- Improved hand-eye coordination
- Improved attention & visual acuity
- Improved basic visual processing and executive function
- Problem solving & strategy skill development
- 72% of parent report gaming having net positive effects for children
- Boosts self-confidence and player socialization
- 55% of gamers say gaming helps them connect with friends
Esports can boost children’s strategic thinking, teamwork, communication, leadership, performance skills, and confidence-building.
For more benefits of eSports, you can read our detailed article Benefits Of Esports
Tips on Becoming an eSports Player
It’s not easy, but if you’re focused on your goal, fame and fortune await those who make it to the top of the eSport world.
- Get specialized in one game
- Don’t be afraid to lose
- Start entering tournaments
- Get sponsors
Read our full article: 10 Steps to Becoming a Pro Gamer
So, tell us, would you like to be an eSports pro gamer?
