Summary

In 2022, the esports audience in Russia increased by more than 30% over the previous year, reaching 20.4 million people aged 13 and up. According to the study, esports fans are roughly 60% men and 40% women, with an average income of 45,000 rubbles per capita. Analysts note a significant increase in the percentage of fans by the end of 2022: one-quarter of the fans polled began following esports matches in the previous year, with women accounting for more than 54% of them. In terms of age group, 20% of the Russian eSports audience is under the age of 13, 35% is between the ages of 18 and 24, and 31% is between the ages of 25 and 34. Adults aged 35–40 account for 12% of the population. Moscow is the country's main esports tournament hub, and it continues to demonstrate its desire and ability to support large international competitions through developed infrastructure, funding, and, most importantly, a large number of fans. For example, one of the most spectacular Dota 2 tournaments ever held in Moscow However, the primary source of income in esports is sponsorship of esports clubs, tournaments, and gamers.

According to the research report "Russia eSports Market Overview, 2028," published by Bonafide Research, the market is expected to add USD 63.98 million by 2028. Streaming is expected to dominate the segment share during the forecast period. The growing emphasis on fan engagement is likely to fuel demand for live sports events. Furthermore, the rise in smart phone users is expected to fuel demand for live sports tournaments. Media rights are making a significant contribution to the country's esports industry. Fans can now track live esports activity across the country thanks to easy access to communication technology. Media companies pay exorbitant fees to win the exclusive rights to broadcast live streaming of major sporting events. In recent years, the sale of broadcasting and media rights has been the most important source of revenue for most esports organizers. The revenue generated by the sale of media rights is used to fund major sporting events, renovate stadiums, and contribute to the grassroots development of esports. During the forecast period, sponsorship is expected to grow rapidly, followed by advertising. As the number of viewers grows, the sponsoring team invests in the platform to strengthen its brand image. Similarly, various gaming platforms include in-app advertisements to boost revenue generation.

On March 24, 2000, the Russian Esports Federation (aka RESF) was established. It is one of the world's oldest sports federations. RESF now has 75 regional sections throughout Russia, with over 50 of them being officially accredited eSports federations in their respective regions. RESF is present in nearly every region of Russia. Each region holds at least three official eSports tournaments per year, and some hold more than ten. In total, there are up to 1000 official tournaments held in Russia each year. The largest eSports tournaments are held in stadiums and draw around 10,000 spectators. The last one (the Russian Esports Championship Finale) took place in May 2021 in the Ural city of Chelyabinsk, with over 10,000 spectators, over 10 million online viewers, and over 21 thousand participants throughout the tournament. RESF has also partnered with Mail.ru Group, one of Russia's largest IT holdings, through its Esports structure, ESforce Holding. This collaboration resulted in the organisation of a Major Series tournament in Moscow with a $1 million prize fund. RESF has been actively developing esports educational programmes. RESF trains, educates, and certifies official judges every three months. RESF launches professional Esports coaching programmes in collaboration with Russia's leading sport universities. RESF offers management programmes for eSports in collaboration with economic and finance universities. Almost every university in Russia now has an eSports student club. RESF is assisting in the establishment of such clubs in schools.

There have been 4,628 Russian esports players that have been awarded a total of $62,844,428.07 USD in prize money across 6,808 tournaments. Dota 2 was the highest-paying game, with $26,919,619.30 USD won, accounting for 42.84% of all earnings by Russian players. Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov is the highest-earning Russian player with $4,217,479.69 USD in prize money won overall, all of which was won from playing in Dota 2 tournaments. Some of the top eSports games are Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Player Unknown's Battlegrounds, Fortnite, Rainbow Six: Siege, World of Tanks, Player Unknown's Battlegrounds Mobile, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Hearthstone, and many more. There are some eSports Top players are Yaroslav Naidenov, Magomed Khalilov, Alexander Khertek, Roman Kushnarev, Aleksey Berezin, Pavel Khvastunov, Denis Sharipov, Vladimir Nikogosyan, Ilya Zalutskiy, Kirill Sergeyevich Mikhailov, and many more. Some top tournaments are in Russia; they are The International 2021, The International 2018, PUBG Global Championship 2022, The International 2017, WESG 2017 (Dota 2), PGL Major Stockholm 2021, The International 2019, PMGC 2021: Grand Finals, Riyadh Masters 2022, The International 2022, and many more.
Numerous factors, such as increased video game awareness and the popularity of Esports, are driving the country's growth in the Esports market. Long-term investment initiatives by large corporations, as well as an increase in the number of tournaments with large prize pools, create rewarding opportunities in the market during the forecast period. The growing use of smart phones in the world's developing economies is due to a variety of factors, including an increase in per capita income, affordability, multiple low-cost options with significant features, and many others. As the demand for esports events increases, it will create lucrative opportunities for the esports industry.

Health and Addiction Concerns for eSports Impede the Market's Growth Gamers may experience metabolic disorders resulting from light-emitting diode computer monitors and psychological problems related to gambling addiction and social behaviour disorders. The health effects of electronic sports players have been studied, and it was discovered that they are more likely to suffer musculoskeletal injuries in the back, neck, and upper extremities. In addition, spending excessive time in front of a computer monitor can cause metabolic disorders. Most of these issues arise from sedentary lifestyles and poor posture, which are common among these players. Furthermore, the introduction of electronic sports college scholarships is a source of concern, as young people can now justify their excessive use of games as being the next electronic sports stars, even if their chances of becoming the one are extremely slim.

Considered in this report
• Geography: Russia
• Historic year: 2017
• Base year: 2022
• Estimated year: 2023
• Forecast year: 2028

Aspects covered in this report
• Russia esports market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Revenue Streams:
• Sponsorship
• Media Rights
• Merchandise & Tickets
• Publisher Fees
• Digital
• Streaming

By Device Type:
• Mobile (Smartphone, Tablet)
• PC (Laptop, Desktop)
• Gaming Device (Console, Handheld Devices)
• Other (VR, Smart TV, etc.)

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, and annual reports of companies, analyzing the government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers into regional aspects, tier aspects, age groups, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to the esport industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.