Esports has grown significantly to the global phenomenon it is today and among its biggest fans is Germany. Read on to learn more about how surprisingly big Esports is in the country.
Germany Loves Esports
The Growth of Esports in Germany
Esports has tremendously grown over the last decade. One of Esports’ biggest followers is Germany, with 8 out of 10 Germans being familiar with the sport, 16 million Germans who have watched esports tournaments, and a quarter of all German gamers having played in esports competitions. This information was revealed in a recent survey conducted by "game" – The German Games Industry Association (yes, it’s actually named game), in collaboration with the market research company, YouGov.
German Gamers By the Numbers
According to the survey, around 16 million Germans have watched an esports match. Since 2020, there have been over 4 million more esports viewers in the country. Naturally, interest is strong among the younger generations, with 48 percent of 16-24 year olds and 45 percent of 25-34 year olds having watched an esports event. 27% of these viewers have a particular favorite esports team that they follow. German awareness of esports has gone up to 77% from 71% back in 2020. Additionally, 10 million Germans, or 23% of all gamers in Germany, have played in an esports competition. This jumped by 5% from 2020. Among the 25-34 year old gamers, a whopping 42% have competed.
This growth could be due to some of the most notable esports organizations being based in the country. BIG(Berlin International Gaming), G2 Esports(formerly Gamers 2), and SK Gaming(Schroet Kommando), to name a few. Gigantic esports tournaments have also been held in Germany, such as the ESL One Berlin Major 2023.
According to Felix Falk, Managing Director of "game" – The German Games Industry Association, "this phenomenon is being recognized and harnessed in several federal states. For instance, Schleswig-Holstein has official state championships and a funded esports regional center, while North Rhine-Westphalia backs its own talent team through the esports player foundation. Even Munich is hosting the 2024 League of Legends EMEA Championship, a tournament that Bayern actively vied for. This kind of political support is essential and is helping to make Germany more enticing for gamers and millions of fans."
