Author: Claire Kerrison
Date Published:
Despite the rise in student participation, there is a wide variation in the levels of investment in the esport market in education. This, combined with the vast amount of marketing material being produced, is making it increasingly difficult for companies to determine the level of opportunity that esports presents.
This Futuresource Consulting esports in education market report is designed to provide clear analysis and market sizing data for esports in schools and higher education. It provides a strategic framework for any enterprise with interests in esports, as the opportunity expands across the world.
Futuresource conducted approximately 50 interviews across the esports supply chain for this report. In order to ensure a complete view of the market, and a total understanding of the sector, Futuresource also conducted 650 end-user interviews.
The report quantifies the demand for esports IT hardware across K12 and higher education, now and over the next five years, exploring the regional purchasing behaviours of schools and universities. Drivers, barriers, regional initiatives, inclusivity, facilities, hardware and funding are all covered in this comprehensive report.
The value of the esports market broke the $1 billion barrier in 2021, and its popularity continues to accelerate, as corporate sponsorship and media broadcasting rights drive the opportunity forward. In the same year, the global esports audience grew 7% year-on-year, to reach nearly 470 million viewers, split almost equally between occasional spectators and esports enthusiasts.
Funding for school esports capabilities is typically derived from many sources, with the majority coming from schools’ annual IT budgets. Futuresource expects grant funding to rise in the mid-term, as governments invest more in grassroots esports to continue the development of the industry, and secure a talent pipeline.
In the USA and Western Europe, the majority of schools sought advice on esports purchases, with integrators being cited as the most influential party. This appetite for Esports-as-a-Service (EaaS) presents a lucrative, sustained revenue opportunity for integrators. More than 90% of schools in Europe and the USA that took part in the Futuresource research study stated they would be at least somewhat interested in EaaS.
In universities, growth is being driven by a general increase in popularity, the development of collegiate gaming across Europe, and a rise in the number of higher education qualifications related to esports. Many universities are investing in esports to improve student recruitment and retention. As facilities feature highly in marketing literature, they want to ensure their facilities appear cutting-edge. This represents a significant opportunity for integrators, as a simple equipment swap-out will no longer suffice.
| Comprehensive PDF report
| Executive summary
| Esports definition and overview
| Inclusivity and safeguarding in esports
| Global executive summary K-12
| Global executive summary for esports in higher education
| North America and LATAM landscape, comprehensive analysis and forecasting
| EMEA landscape, comprehensive analysis and forecasting
| Asia Pacific landscape, comprehensive analysis and forecasting
| Spotlight on India
| About Futuresource
| Demand for esports IT hardware across K12 and higher education, now and over the next five years
| Interviews carried out in USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland
| Data for LATAM, MEA, CEE, APAC, WE and NA
| Market sizing, with quantification of sales volumes and installed base
| Market forecasting, with data provided from 2020 to 2027
| Investment and government esports initiatives updates
| Estimated market sizes across a range of product categories
Futuresource has been tracking, researching and consulting on the CE and EdTech landscapes for the last 30 years. This publication is one in a series of research reports, produced to provide businesses with a fully-rounded view of the esports market opportunity.
Any business operating within esports and related sectors will benefit from this report, particularly:
| Hardware manufacturers and their suppliers
| Infrastructure providers
| Integrators
| Intermediaries and supply chain
| Market strategists, marketing and sales professionals
| Investors
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