A report from dentsu reveals that the gaming industry’s value has soared to £141.7bn ($184bn), overtaking the combined worth of the music (£28.6bn) and film (£33.9bn) sectors.
The “State of Gaming” report, created with global research firm GWI, highlights gaming’s expanding reach across generations, with the average gamer age rising from 33 in 2015 to 37 in 2024.
Globally, 2.4 billion people now play games, with 51% supportive of entertainment franchises entering the gaming world. dentsu’s findings also emphasise gaming’s potential for advertisers: in-game ads have a 99% view-ability rate and a 21% brand recall rate, yet ad spend in gaming remains below 5% in the U.S.
For Jo Redfern, these findings underscore a massive opportunity for rights holders looking to engage new audiences and tap into this rapidly growing market.
What she said:
“The irony is that sports has largely ignored the significant digital shifts in younger generations’ media consumption, but even if they’re now beginning to consider YouTube, Gaming still seems to be a can easily kicked down the road.
BUT: 78% of gamers say it's where they connect with friends, where they find their tribe. It’s where they feel they belong, and ‘belonging’ is important to a team, club and rights holder.
But the biggest miss is women.
Female gamers aren't just participating - they're finding something many sports has struggled to provide, safe and inclusive spaces. Places where they can be themselves without judgment. In Roblox, Dress to Impress is spawning digital fashion designers and e.l.f. is encouraging female entrepreneurship in the beauty business.
So if you’re not in gaming you're telling 2.4 billion people you don't see them, and many of them are fans or future fans.
The solution isn't complicated, but it does require courage:
- Stop thinking about gaming as competition for attention, users love both gaming AND sports
- Start thinking about gaming as a bridge to connection
- Build communities, not just content
- Create immersive spaces where all fans can belong
Because while we debate the future of sports IRL, fans are already forming communities and fandoms in gaming spaces.”
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