Esports moves beyond brand awareness into real revenue

ESPORTS is now far more than just a top-of-the-funnel opportunity for brands, according to Danny Tang, CEO of Hero Esports, Asia’s biggest esports company. “When brands show up authentically in esports, they do not just see the top of the funnel where the awareness is. They can see all the way down to conversion and to sales and to growth,” Tang told Lions Daily News.

Danny Tang

Last December, 62,196 fans attended Hero Esports’ KPL Grand Finals event in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium — selling out in 12 seconds. Brands’ involvement with the company’s events has been deepening over time, as it has grown to reach an audience of more than 800 million fans online.

“They’re not just showing up as a logo,” Tang said. “They’re very much engaged with the community, they have activations outside the arena, they go to speak to the players. And you see that chemistry flourish.”

The players at the heart of these events are crucial to esports’ appeal both to brands and fans, even if they are still sometimes underestimated. “Professional esports athletes are not just people who are good at games. They are putting in 10 to 12 hours of training every single day, and that includes physical training and psychology training,” Tang said. “They also realise the responsibility that they have to their fans, which is why you see a huge female following. The fans respond to that.” The diversity of the audience is reflected in Hero Esports itself. “Almost 50% of our employees are female, and over 50% of our directors are female,” Tang said. “Honestly, I have not seen that a lot.”