The region’s share, while slightly below 2022 levels, remains the largest as forecasts project $2.5 billion in revenue by 2030.

Regional Market Share and Key Drivers

Asia-Pacific held 47.3% of the global esports market in 2024, according to aggregated industry data, making it the single largest regional bloc despite a decline from 53% in 2022. The region's commanding position reflects deep structural advantages: high internet penetration, widespread smartphone adoption, and a thriving live-streaming ecosystem that has turned competitive gaming into mainstream entertainment across multiple markets.

The 47.3% figure represents a notable shift from 2022, when Asia as a whole accounted for 53% of global esports revenue, per data from Niko Partners cited by AB Magazine. This contraction is partly attributable to faster commercialisation in North America and Europe, where sponsorship and media rights deals have scaled rapidly. However, methodological differences across research firms produce a wide range of regional share estimates. IMARC Group assessed Asia-Pacific's share at 30.0% in 2025, while Grand View Research calculated 29.2% in 2024—both considerably lower than the AI-summarised figure. The divergence stems from varying definitions of esports revenue, geographic scope (e.g., whether China includes Hong Kong and Macau), and inclusion or exclusion of adjacent segments like betting and merchandise.

Driving the region's growth are fundamental demand-side factors. Rising internet penetration in developing markets, increasing smartphone usage among younger demographics, and the growing popularity of live-streaming platforms have expanded both player bases and viewership. The first Olympic Esports Week, held in Singapore in June 2023, signalled institutional recognition of competitive gaming as a legitimate sport. Favorable investments from sponsors and advertisers, coupled with increasing Gen Z engagement, continue to push the ecosystem forward.

%Source: Orionmano Industries

Country-Level Breakdown and Revenue Composition

China is the dominant force within Asia-Pacific and globally. According to Niko Partners, China accounted for 34% of worldwide esports revenue in 2022, generating $445 million of the global total of $1.3 billion. KBV Research projected China's Asia-Pacific market value would reach $293.6 million by 2027. The country's competitive advantage stems from a deeply integrated ecosystem spanning game publishers, tournament organisers, streaming platforms, and professional teams—Tencent's central role in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023 exemplified this institutional embedding.

Japan and India represent the region's fastest-growing opportunities. KBV Research forecasts Japan's esports market will grow at a 22.7% CAGR through 2027, while India's market is expected to expand at a 24.1% CAGR over the same period. Japan's growth trajectory is further supported by Grand View Research, which projects it will record the highest CAGR among Asia-Pacific countries from 2025 to 2030. India's rise is driven by affordable smartphones, low-cost mobile data plans, and a young population increasingly engaged with mobile-first esports titles.

Southeast Asia is also accelerating. Deloitte Asia Pacific reported that the Southeast Asian esports industry grew at a 20.8% CAGR from 2019 to 2024, with projected revenue of $72.5 million in 2024. Key markets include Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. Foreign investment is flowing in: Indonesia's EVOS Esports secured $12 million in Series B funding from Korea Investment Partners, and Singapore's Impunity Esports formed a partnership with Turkey's Fire Flux Esports.

Revenue composition in Asia-Pacific is shifting toward sponsorship. Grand View Research identified sponsorship as the most lucrative revenue segment in the region in 2024, followed by advertising, media rights, publisher fees, and merchandise/tickets. This pattern mirrors global trends, where brand partnerships increasingly underpin tournament economics.

Market Growth Trajectory and Forecast

The Asia-Pacific esports market generated revenue of $621.0 million in 2024, according to Grand View Research. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26% from 2025 to 2030, reaching $2,515.8 million by 2030. This growth rate outpaces both global average projections and those of other regional markets, reinforcing Asia-Pacific's position as the fastest-growing regional bloc.

KBV Research provides additional context, forecasting the Asia-Pacific esports market would grow at a 23.4% CAGR during the 2021–2027 period, broadly consistent with the Grand View trajectory when accounting for differences in base years and scope. The global esports market is projected to reach $3,574.9 million by 2027 at a 21.3% CAGR, per KBV Research, and $10.3 billion by 2034 at a 16.87% CAGR per IMARC Group—illustrating that while Asia-Pacific's share may shift fractionally, the absolute growth story remains robust.

Several factors underpin this trajectory. Rising smartphone penetration across India and Southeast Asia expands the addressable audience. The introduction of global events like the Olympic Esports Games is legitimising the sector and attracting institutional sponsorship. Governments in Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea are implementing ecosystem development programmes, such as Malaysia's Esports Integrated programme led by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

With Japan and India accelerating faster than the regional average, and Southeast Asian markets drawing foreign investment, Asia-Pacific's revenue share is poised to grow again as infrastructure and sponsorship deepen. However, methodological differences among research firms will continue to produce varied share estimates, making it essential for stakeholders to triangulate across sources when sizing opportunities.

Revenue (USD Million) (USD Million)Source: Orionmano Industries