The inaugural edition of esports competition the Fortnite World Cup drew strong audiences in the US amongst older and female demographics, according to newly-released figures.
The first Fortnite World Cup finals took place in New York from July 26-28. According to data from StreamMetrics, a measurement and data analytics company focusing on esports, the event at one point drew in 2.3 million viewers across the world.
StreamMetrics reports that the Fortnite World Cup had a more balanced audience in both age and gender than other esports events.
In the US, women and girls represented 43 per cent of viewers, compared to 23 per cent for other Fortnite competitions held in June. StreamMetrics also stated that 44 per cent of viewers were over the age of 35, up from less than a third for previous events.
StreamMetrics was formed earlier this year and is backed by HBSEV, the venture arm of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, parent company of NBA basketball franchise the Philadelphia 76ers, NHL ice hockey team the New Jersey Devils and Newark’s Prudential Center. The group also owns esports franchise Team Dignitas.
StreamMetrics last month launched Audience Measurement, a new syndicated data service that seeks to demystify live-stream and esports viewership by accurately measuring audience size, demographics, and engagement, providing geographically-relevant data to advertisers, sponsors and brands, game publishers, esports tournament organisers, networks, and leagues.
Commenting on the Fortnite World Cup, Dan Nemo, co-founder of StreamMetrics, told the Bloomberg news agency: “The event was a huge success. There were questions surrounding Fortnite 18 months ago, asking if they could attract the audiences and make it enjoyable for people to watch. Now, they’ve evolved into a premier esport.”
In other esports news, world football’s governing body Fifa and games developer Electronic Arts have announced significantly increases in viewing figures for this year’s edition of the Fifa eWorld Cup.
The final of the 2019 eWorld Cup was held at The O2 in London from August 2-4. Fifa said the three-day event generated more than 47 million views across online platforms. After impressive numbers throughout the season, eWorld Cup 2019 views increased 60 per cent compared to last year, becoming the most viewed event of the EA Sports Fifa 19 Global Series.
The action was streamed in six languages for the first time – Arabic, Chinese, English, German, Portuguese and Spanish – and was broadcast to more than 75 territories around the world. Additionally, the Global Series generated more than 140 million total views across the 2018-19 season since kicking off in October.
Luis Vicente, chief digital transformation and innovation officer at Fifa, said: “The Fifa eWorld Cup 2019 showcased once more the growing interest in competitive Fifa and the huge potential for both viewership and on-site live audiences.
“Surpassing 100 million views across the season is another record milestone for us and our partner EA Sports. With the newly introduced event structure and rankings this season, the competition level at the Fifa eWorld Cup was the most competitive we’ve ever seen.
“With a 60-per-cent year-on-year increase in viewership, the new elements added to the Fifa eWorld Cup 2019 like the on-site production in six languages and live music acts complemented another record-breaking event, resulting in a unique and exciting live experience for fans at The O2 in London, as well as an enhanced livestream experience for viewers on Fifa’s digital channels.”