The Complete eSports Guide for Affiliates: Basics, Tips, and GEOs

For the accuracy reasons, this article was updated on the 7th of August, 2024.

eSports has always been popular and became even more popular after the COVID-19, the pandemic that dramatically changed our habits and rooted millions of people at home, next to their computer screens.

Is it lucrative for affiliates? Yup.

To help you ride this much-needed wave, we’ve put together a complete affiliate esports guide covering everything you need to know about this exciting vertical.

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So, What is eSports?

Depending on who you ask, you may find slightly different definitions for esports. In simple terms, esports are video games that are played competitively. With this in mind, there are hundreds of different games and dozens of tournaments that host players from all over the world.

One of the many advantages of esports is that players don’t have to be in the same location to play together. Game streaming allows players to compete without having the travel and the video streaming features enable millions of fans to follow their favorite esports superstar.

And, this has also paved the way for esports, the practice of placing wagers on the outcome of the tournaments that are broadcasted across the web.

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Key eSports Statistics

The best way to understand the growth rate of esports traffic is to look at the numbers the industry is generating. Some of the most important statistics include:

• According to Statista, worldwide revenue from esports made $1 384 BLN in 2022 and is it’s predicted to grow up to $1 866 BLN in 2025.
• Twitch reports that around 2 378 000 viewers are watching streams concurrently in 2024.
• Twitch also reports that in April 2024, they had approximately 7.23 MLN active streamers.
• The payout for esport tournament winners reached $60 MLN in large championship 2024 (Saudi Arabia).

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Is eSports… a Sport? What’s the Difference?

There are dozens of differences when it comes to esports and conventional sports. Here are some of the most important ones:

• Sports are much older and well-known, while esports are newer and gaining traction every day
• Conventional sports require participants to be in the same location, while esports are a digital phenomenon so they can be played remotely
• Sports are not owned by anyone, whereas esport games and consoles are the intellectual property of someone else
• Sports fan bases are ruled by GEO location, but esport fans pick their favorite players for other reasons
• The per-fan monetization rate is smaller for esports, but the volumes are starting to make up for this discrepancy 

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Top eSports Games to Consider

There are thousands of games that can be played competitively, but you’ll find that the big tournaments usually feature a handful of well-known platforms. Here is an infographics from Twitch:

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Why Test eSports Right Now?

Because esports is popular! And because there is money in this niche. Here is what happening at Lootbet right now:

Because they can be played remotely and don’t depend on seasonality, esports are set to experience a boom in popularity and potential investments. Game developers and tournament organizers are working to strengthening the structure that is keeping the industry afloat, so consumers are turning to companies to place wagers on the many tournaments that take place every year.

Additionally, the esports industry is not yet popular with most affiliates, giving you a significant advantage over marketers that catch the trend later on.

The industry is starting to make a shift towards esports and affiliates will be an important part of this transition. And, frankly speaking, the timing couldn’t be better.

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Understanding the Target Audience

Like other campaigns, understanding your target audience will allow you to craft ads that create a connection with your prospects. Here are some of the most important demographic information you need to keep in mind:

• Age ranges between 18 and 44-year-old.
• There are approximately 1.7 BLN male gamers and 1.39 BLN female gamers worldwide.
• The most popular countries are Japan, UK, US, Sweden, South Korea, France, and more.
• The most popular games by region include:

Asia	Mobile Legends, Garena Free Fire, Arena of Valor
North America	Grand Theft Auto, Fortnite, Call of Duty, Minecraft
LATAM	Roblox, Free Fire: The Chaos, Call of Duty, Brawl Stars
Europe	Grand Theft Auto, Hogwarts Legacy, EA Sports FC 24, FIFA
Middle East and Africa	Call of Duty, Battlefield: Bad Company, Conflict: Middle East

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CPA Offers – What You Need to Know

All offers are unique, so you need to analyze each one individually and make sure it works for you. If you need a reminder on how to choose CPA offers, you can check out our article to choosing the best CPA Gaming offers.

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