Esports is often regarded as males only industry, which in retrospect might be true but it doesn’t mean that females don’t involve themselves with esports. A recent study done by Nielsen revealed that the number of females engaged in esports Is on rise. Although the number is still far less than that of male populace but with steady rise the industry is witnessing more and more females joining the esports scene.
According to the study, 22% of esports populace around the world is of the female. Out of this 22%, Korea and China, both leads the charts with nearly 30% females following esports. Whereas, in India, only 10% of the population involved in esports is that of females.
ESPORTS FAN ENGAGEMENT
The strong numbers shown by Korea and China is in direct correlation to how mainstream the esports have become in a country’s culture. With the rise in mobile gaming, the numbers are boosted even more. With more people having easy access to the games the esports involvement skyrocketed. With more people joining the esports ecosystem, content became vital to lure more people.
Both the male and female join esports for different interests. The entertainment and socialising aspect are the biggest draws for female fans across the Globe. With almost a majority of females only connecting for entertainment aspects and socializing with other gamers. While on the contrary, the majority of male fans engage in esports for learning tips and tricks and to become a better player.
MULTI-TASKING WHILE WATCHING ESPORTS COMPETITIONS
Although this doesn’t mean that females aren’t interested in the competitive side of the esports. There is a rise in number of females only teams across the chart. With 3rd most popular reason for female fans to engage in esports being “learning tips and tricks”. The females are also showing strong favour towards skill development as much as male fans are showing.
With esports becoming more mainstream and easier anytime access entertainment across the global market, more and more females will be becoming a part of the audience. This will lead to the development of more content especially aimed for females because as of now most content is only male-oriented. It is clear that to engage a more female audience with esports, more gender-neutral content will be needed.
For more information about the research, visit Nielsen Esports Insights.
