A new SuperData report finds that gaming video content (GVC) audience has reached 666 million, with viewership exceeding that of HBO, Netflix, ESPN, and Hulu combined.
According to the company, YouTube’s GVC has 517 million viewers and Amazon’s Twitch audience stands at 185 million viewers. Ads and direct consumer spending are expected to push GVC earnings to $3.2 billion in 2017. The report cautions brands and advertisers against ignoring this audience, which it claims comprises of high average income viewers.
At 666M people, it’s an audience that will be ignored by brands and advertisers only to their detriment. While the ‘why would anyone want to watch someone else play video games?’ sentiment continues to exist among those behind the curve, the smartest publishers, advertisers, and brands are recognizing that their consumers are now, simply put, watching videos of people playing games.
Compared to the days of the stereotyped gamer, the current viewer base has a high female representation (46%) and high average income ($58K in the US). These young, tech-savvy consumers are leading the “cord-cutting” charge, and they are watching GVC instead of primetime TV. Companies that do not build relationships with these viewers now risk losing the next generation of high-spending consumers.
SuperData says GVC is a “must” for publishers as a “valuable outreach tool.” You can check out the full report below.
[Source: SuperData]
