Why esports is the next big nutraceutical market opportunity?
Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients
Innovative capsules, dosage form solutions and health ingredients for pharmaceutical and health & nutrition companies.
The #esports industry is booming, poised to hit $1.8 billion in global revenue by 2022.1 Its growth is a symbol of the world’s passion for gaming. Esports refers to the world of professionally-regulated #gaming tournaments that have become a popular spectator sport worldwide for today’s 2.9 billion casual #gamers and gaming enthusiasts.?
And just as in traditional sports, esports #athletes work hard to reach peak physical and mental performance, with fans paying close attention to what it takes for their favorite players to win. For nutrition brands, this brings in a new and fast-growing group of #nutraceutical consumers seeking #performance support to reach gaming goals.?
Join the global gaming revolution
The gaming industry has quietly exploded—it now generates more revenue than digital music, film, video streaming, the National Football League (NFL) and the #olympics combined.2 The industry’s already-strong growth was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when people began spending more time inside, turning to gaming as entertainment. In 2020, four out of five consumers were playing video games from March and into the following six months.3 The trend continues to gather pace—according to recent research, the number of global gamers jumped from 2.7 billion in 2020 to 2.9 billion in 2021 and is predicted to reach 3.1 billion this year.?
The pandemic also created bigger esports audiences. As traditional sports fans and athletes alike found themselves looking to recapture the live sports experience, well-known athletes entered the esports arena. Formula 1? driver Max Verstappen and soccer player Gareth Bale from the UK Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur, both picked up their controllers to compete online.?,?
World-famous soccer clubs such as Manchester City have even formed their own esports teams to participate in the FIFAe World Cup?, a global esports competition hosted by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and video game giant EA Sports?.? The blurring of the boundaries between sports and esports demonstrates a shift in who is viewed as the ‘typical’ gamer. The focus is no longer exclusively on energy drink-loaded teenagers who are uninterested in health and nutrition. Instead, gamers are often health-focused and put their all into winning and performing—whether in a tournament or at home with friends and family.??
Get to know the esports ecosystem?
Unlike a casual gamer, an esports athlete plays professionally, earning an income or winning prize money via gameplay. The esports industry has flourished in much the same way as traditional sporting industries. Like soccer or basketball stars, the best esports players are signed to globally recognized teams that receive big-brand sponsorship, competing for large cash prizes in live-streamed tournaments with huge numbers of spectators. As with other sports, success requires years of dedicated training to develop the skills necessary to win. In esports, players focus on cognitive and physical agility, alertness, and endurance to perform through hours of gaming.?
However, what sets esports apart from traditional sports is its accessibility—anyone who owns a PC or console and a game has the potential to develop the skills to compete, which are not as reliant on physical strength as other sports. Platforms like Twitch.tv make it possible for anyone to live-stream their games in the hope of reaching an audience and gaining attention from esports recruiters. This organic growth has also ensured that pro esports athletes are more accessible than their counterparts in soccer, tennis, or Formula 1?. Star players will often chat with and play games against their fans, demonstrating their role as influencers in the communities they initially trained in.??
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Nutraceuticals get fit for esports??
Although the skills required for success in esports may be unique, the intense training professional esports athletes must endure will be familiar to sports brands. Players can spend hours and days repeatedly pushing the same buttons to perfect their skills in a particular game.??
At the highest levels, like professional sports players, esports athletes benefit from carefully designed training programs that optimize their ability to perform through practice, rest, and nutrition. Dietary supplements play a crucial role here—esports athletes seek products that increase energy, improve mental focus, support joint health, and more, which often leads them to sports nutrition products. And, just as with other sports, casual esports gamers want to follow the routines of their favorite players.??
Unlock the esports opportunity??
Esports is not only here to stay but is becoming a mainstream entertainment heavyweight. Gaming is a major source of community and connection in an evolving, digitally connected world. For sports nutrition brands, now is the time to get in the game. Many well-researched ingredients and dosage forms are available to support both sports and esports nutrition positioning, making it easy for brands to embrace the esports audience with fresh, targeted messaging.??
Want to learn more about the esports #nutraceuticals market opportunity? Get all the detail on what health benefits gamers look for in Lonza’s new ebook, “Get in the Game: Unlock the Esports Nutrition Innovation Opportunity.” You’ll get a deeper dive into the esports nutraceutical market opportunity, with an overview of the market size, the latest in ingredients and dosage forms, and exclusive consumer research on players’ nutrition priorities. Download the ebook today for free, and get into the esports game fast.?
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