Mindshare North America, the global media agency network that’s part of WPP, released new research that explores “the rapidly growing eSports community and the resulting opportunities for marketers.”

The report, titled “Game On: What Marketers Should Know About eSports Fans,” states:

“There’s a tremendous opportunity for brands to reach millennial audiences through this medium. When Mindshare NA surveyed eSports enthusiasts ages 18 and up, they found that 65% of fans are millennials (between the ages of 18-34). And it’s not all men either: 38% of eSports fans are women. But while there’s a misperception that the eSports community is limited to college kids in their early 20’s, that’s simply not true: the agency found a large portion of fans in their late 20’s and 30’s; 60% of fans are between the ages of 25-39.”

“In fact, eSports presents an opportunity for marketers to reach working professionals with significant buying power. Forty-three percent of eSports enthusiasts have an annual household income of $75,000 per year or higher—and nearly one third (31%) have an HHI2 of $90,000 or higher. On top of that, 58% of fans that are ages 25 or older live with kids in their households—indicating that an increasing number of parents are getting into the game.”

More impressive stats:

• “Nearly half of eSports enthusiasts surveyed (49%) said that they spend most of their free time around eSports. That number increases to 56% for those with an HHI of $50,000-99,000, and jumps to 67% for those with an HHI of $100,000 or more.”
• “60% of eSports fans are willing to travel to see their favorite games, tournaments, and players. That number increased to 67% for those with an HHI of $50,000-99,000, and jumps to 72% for those with an HHI of $100,000 or more.”

Said Joshua Spiegelman, Managing Director, Mindshare Spotlight: “There is a huge opportunity for marketers right now in eSports. This passion point has an audience of incredibly engaged fans, many of which (for millennials and gen Z in particular) can be challenging to reach through traditional media channels. In addition, given eSports is still in its infancy relative to more established ‘stick and ball’ sports, there’s a lower cost of entry to engage in meaningful partnerships, collaborate with talent to create contextually relevant campaigns, and dominate share of voice.”