From many of the articles I read online, Newzoo has established itself as a lead source of information on the growing esports industry. They describe themselves as the an ideal intelligence partner for any company interested in “games, mobile and esports.” A recent report published online gives a detailed breakdown of how Newzoo estimates the global Esports Economy will grow in 2018 (emphasis added):
“In the coming year, the global Esports Economy will grow to $905.6 million, a year-on-year growth of 38%. The majority of this, 77%, will be generated directly (sponsorships and advertising) and indirectly (media rights and content licenses) through investments made by … brands that will spend $694 million, an impressive 48% increase since last year. … Media rights will see the biggest jump year on year, up 72% since 2017. Consumer spending on tickets and merchandise will total $96 million, while another $116 million will be invested by game publishers into the esports industry through partnership deals with white-label organizers.”