Esports investment is booming because its fans have more money to spend

If you’re a fan of a traditional sports team, you know that those franchises have no shortage of ways to get you to spend your money to express your fandom. You can buy tickets, merchandise such as jerseys and inflatable thumbs, and other kinds of licensed stuff, and all of that adds up to a lot of money. And KSV eSports cofounder Kent Wakeford expects the competitive-gaming space to replicate that kind of consumer experience and the revenues that go with it.

“With traditional sports, an average fan spends about $50 per year,” Wakeford said during a fireside chat at the GamesBeat Summit in Mill Valley, California, today. “With esports, it’s an average of $5. There’s this big gap, and if you can come in and close it. It’s this 10x opportunity.”