The e-sport market in France

Esport, a contraction of electronic sport, refers to the competitive practice of video games through structured tournaments, often broadcast live to millions of spectators. Long perceived as a simple niche form of entertainment, this phenomenon has over the years established itself as an economic sector in its own right, at the crossroads of digital, culture, sport and media.

The global esport market is showing steady but controlled growth, with sales rising from €182 million in 2022 to €187.7 million in 2024, and a projected €213.1 million by 2027. This growth is underpinned by the professionalization of leagues, the diversification of revenues (media rights, sponsorship, physical and online events), and the growing integration of esports in major geographic markets, notably in Asia, North America and Europe.

This global development is taking place against a backdrop ofmassive expansion in video gaming, with 3.145 billion consumers in 2022, expected to reach 3.759 billion in 2027. This global base, driven by mobile, cloud gaming, young demographics and the globalization of content, represents a huge potential audience and player pool for esport.

In France, esport has seen remarkable growth, with sales rising from €50 million in 2019 to €141 million in 2022, before reaching a plateau in 2023. This development reflects a phase of maturation and consolidation of the business model, in an ecosystem made up of historic players and innovative new entrants. The number of French esport enthusiasts also more than doubled between 2018 and 2023, reaching 11.8 million individuals.

The practice is broken down into several profiles - from mainstream gamers to amateur e-sports enthusiasts - and reflects a growing diversity of audiences, both in terms of gender and socio-economic status. In terms of consumption, almost 43% of esport spectators are regulars, while the majority of competitions are held online or in hybrid format, confirming the sector'sdigital and global roots.

At the same time, spontaneous awareness of French esport structures reveals a high degree of concentration around a few major players. Two clubs clearly dominate the ecosystem: Karmine Corp (87% of quotes) and Team Vitality (82%), buoyed by effective communication, a highly committed community and solid competitive performance. Solary, with 55%, occupies an intermediate position, while structures such as LDLC OL, Gentle Mates, Aegis, Gameward (GO) and BDS have a much lower profile (22-29%). This polarization illustrates a dynamic of hypervisibility, where only a few brands succeed in massively capturing the attention of the amateur public.

Finally, some games dominate the competitive scene. League of Legends maintains an overwhelming lead in terms of global audience (6.94 million for Worlds 2024), followed by the rise of mobile games such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and the growth of competitive FPS such as Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant.