New Study Finds 400 Million Gen Z Consumers Regularly Engage With Esports

The numbers are in, and they're hard to argue with. A new whitepaper from ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), Hero Esports, and Niko Partners titled The Esports Generation: Who They Are & Why They Spend dropped today, and it paints a picture of an audience that is bigger, more engaged, and more commercially valuable than many brands still realize.

The study surveyed 8,000 Gen Z esports fans aged 13 to 30 across eight global markets, and the headline figure alone is a quite something: an estimated 400 million Gen Z consumers, or roughly 20% of the generation, regularly engage with esports.

Not just players watching players

One of the most interesting findings in the report is the spectator shift. A quarter of engaged viewers (24%) are actively watching competitive titles they do not even play themselves. That mirrors how traditional sports fandom works, where millions watch football or basketball without ever stepping on a field or court. Esports has crossed that threshold.

And the engagement goes well beyond passive viewing, these are not casual observers flipping past a stream. Here is how Gen Z fans actually engage with the scene:

71% regularly watch gaming content
66% tune in to gaming livestreams
33% watch or listen to gaming podcasts
30% actively post in game forums and social media groups
21% regularly attend gaming conventions and esports events

Live events are also a bigger deal than outsiders might expect, with the average fan attending at least one in-person event in the past nine months. At EFG's own DreamHack Birmingham 2026 festival held in March, 41% of attendees were female, a figure that directly challenges the outdated idea of esports as an exclusively male space. In China, the Peacekeeper Elite League (PEL) and KPL saw female attendance exceed 50%.

Brands, this one is for you

The commercial case is where this report really lands hard. A massive 85% of fans said they notice branding in esports, and 74% reported that advertising and brand participation in gaming spaces has directly influenced their purchasing behavior. That is not just awareness. That is conversion.

Two thirds (66%) of esports fans have already bought a product because of a collaboration or co-branding partnership with an esports team, game, or player. The categories are broader than you might think:

Food and beverages: 33%
Electronics: 33%
Fashion: 32%
Esports collectibles: 28%
Makeup, beauty, or skincare: 17%

Niccolo Maisto, CEO at ESL FACEIT Group, put it plainly: "Esports has evolved into one of the most effective channels for companies looking to connect with Gen Z audiences at scale. What makes it unique is not just its reach, but the depth of engagement and trust that exists between fans, players, teams, and events."

A generation with broader tastes

The report also does a good job of dismantling the stereotype of the isolated gamer with no other interests. Gen Z esports fans are culturally diverse, and their top interests outside of gaming ranked as follows:

Music: 48% (with 53% paying for a music subscription)
Streaming TV and movies: 37% (with 52% paying for at least one streaming service)
Traditional sports: 36%
Exercise and fitness: 31%
Variety shows and other livestreams: 29%
Going out to the movies: 28%
Fashion, beauty, and makeup: 26%

Perhaps the most telling stat for advertisers: a quarter of fans surveyed (26%) do not watch any broadcast or cable TV in a typical week, and another 20% watch an hour or less. This generation has moved on from traditional viewing habits, and esports is one of the primary destinations for their attention.

Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports, summed it up well: "The data shows an audience that is young, diverse, and deeply engaged. For brands, the message is clear: esports is no longer a niche market. It is the premier platform to connect with the next generation of consumers."

The timing could not be better

The report lands at a moment when esports viewership is hitting all-time highs. The IEM Cologne Major 2026 grand final in June attracted a peak of over 2.75 million concurrent viewers, making it the most-watched match in Counter-Strike history, with 141% year-over-year growth in peak viewers and 185% growth in hours watched. The momentum is real, and the audience data to back it up is now on the table.

The full "The Esports Generation: Who They Are & Why They Spend" whitepaper is available for download here.

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Featured image credit: ESL FACEIT GROUP / Hero Esports / Niko Partners

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