Other parts of the world have seen rapid growth in women’s involvement in esports faster than in the United States. Even with the slow pace, opportunities abound for teams, leagues, rights holders, publishers and marketers to charm female fans across the continent. The 1-2% rise in fanfare across the U.S as compared to the 3-4% rise across the globe since the latter part of 2020 according to data from market research firm YouGov is a testament to the blooming influence.

Nicole Pike, YouGov’s Global Sector Head of Esports and Gaming.

Nicole Pike, YouGov’s Global Sector Head of Esports and Gaming said “There are very different trajectories of growth in different markets and regions.” He continued, “over time, you start to see people coming in (as esports fans), and it becomes more common for it to be a casual pastime, as opposed to avid fans. Once that happens, you start to see females entering and becoming fans at greater rates.”

Mobile gaming which is regarded as a key component of the speedy growth of esports market on the Asian continent especially China has only started to gain a foothold in the U.S. market. Pike reiterated that, “that’s where we’re getting that lag effect of female fandom growth; we haven’t hit that spot where mobile is taking off.”

The female market is a largely untapped industry that needs to be sized up as quickly as possible. Pike said, “I’m working with several (teams, leagues, rights holders and publishers) to help them understand what the gender dynamics are for their fanbase.” He continued, “if the properties themselves don’t know, then it’s hard for the marketers to work with them to know how to take advantage.”

In April, Tampax Gaming Fest featured some fantastic and unique marketing space. This means there’s hope for the future as the next phase is something worth looking forward to. Also, he believes that more resources need to be committed to understanding their female fans better, which in turn will boost the partnerships between players and the brands they work with.