Esports Marketing: 10 Best Strategies for Sportsbooks

Esport marketing is a hot topic right now because in recent years, eSports has become a major source of revenue for influencers, marketers, and eSports enthusiasts. Until recently, only a few brands like Intel and Red Bull had sponsorship deals with eSports teams, but bigger brands like Coca-Cola and Mercedes have also jumped on the eSports marketing train.

If you're hearing about it for the first time, eSports is simply competitive video gaming on a much larger scale. It has a huge fan base among the younger demographic, and according to a joint study by Neilson and Twitch in the US, fans of the sport are hardcore loyalists.

Twitch is one of the major streaming platforms for eSports tournaments, and currently, there's a low volume of ads on the service. Due to the interactive social element and low competition, sponsored ads tend to have a high success rate as streaming fans are immersed in the content that they watch.

Significant eSports events like the CS:GO Major or Worlds can drive new customer acquisition in sportsbooks if the marketing is done right. If you’re wondering how to advertise eSports, you're in the right place. Here's a list of the best strategies to incorporate:

1. Esports Audience Targeting and Segmentation
2. Strategic Channel Selection
3. Esports Influencer Partnerships and Collaborations
4. Esports Content Marketing For Gamers
5. Paid Advertising Campaigns in eSports
6. Esports Team Event Sponsorships and Hosting
7. Video Marketing and Streaming Platforms
8. In-Game Advertising in eSports
9. Social Media Engagement and Community Building
10. Experiential Marketing in Esports

Keep reading while I break down how to make these strategies work for your sportsbook and help you reach your target audience.

1. Esports Audience Targeting and Segmentation

Having a key understanding of the eSports community is the first requirement needed to create a potentially successful targeted esports marketing strategy. You don't want to make the mistake of thinking that all esports fans fall within the same category. Like traditional sports marketing, eSports is divided into different types and the target audiences should be categorized based on the kind of games they like. Popular genres include:

• Player vs. Player (PvP)
• Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA)
• Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG)
• First-Person Shooter (FPS)
• Real-Time Strategy (RTS)

By identifying and segmenting your audience into these categories, most of the work is done and you can now create content that appeals to each group. Audience segmentation also helps you know which esports teams and esports brands you can collaborate with based on those your audience likes.

2. Strategic Channel Selection

After determining the composition of your audience and what games they like, the next step is to figure out where they spend their gaming time. Esports enthusiasts and mobile gamers dedicate most of their time to streaming platforms more than anywhere else, so this is where you choose from. The most popular platforms include:

• Twitch
• YouTube
• Kick
• TikTok Live
• DLive
• Hitbox

The viewership numbers on these platforms are a good way to identify which ones should be worth your investment. You can also compare subscription plans and target channels where there's less competition.

3. Esports Influencer Partnerships and Collaborations

Developing partnerships and collaborations with top eSports influencers will help you expand your reach during your esports marketing campaigns. Remember that choosing the right ones goes beyond popularity, as you need to factor in their active platforms and audience to connect with the right esports audience.

The partnership between Drake and Stake is a model example of a successful collaboration between a sportsbook and a major influencer, showcasing the power of brand partnerships within the growing esports industry. Several other prominent influencers have made a name for themselves from playing their favorite competitive gaming titles consistently over the years.

Among them, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is regarded as one of the most popular Twitch influencers, gamers, and YouTubers today. Forbes estimated his net worth to be in the $25–$40 million range. He also set a Twitch.tv record for an individual stream when he collaborated with other superstars like Drake, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Travis Scott. Other popular Twitch influencers are AuronPlay and Rubius, all part of the highly engaged gaming community.

4. Esports Content Marketing For Gamers

You can give yourself more visibility within the eSports marketing world by creating unique content for gamers. If you're going to go this route, do more vlogging than writing because the eSports enthusiasts in your tech-savvy audience are already used to watching video content on social media channels. Also, ensure your content has valuable gaming information to set you apart and strengthen your brand image.

If you've been successful at forming a partnership with any of the top eSports influencers, you can have them create exclusive content for you. To ensure your conversions are headed in the right direction, include a CTA at the end of your vlog to drive traffic and boost fan engagement within the esports community. While there's a lot of competition in this area, you stand a fair chance of becoming a viral sensation if there's value in your content.

5. Paid Advertising Campaigns in eSports

Esports advertising can include ad placements on livestream platforms like Twitch and YouTube during live eSports events. Over 70 million users have been recorded to stream 400+ million hours of content per month, which makes placing ads during these broadcasts an effective advertising tool for reaching a global audience.

Search engine advertising such as Google ads, and display ad networks like Blockchain-ads, can also act as suitable outlets to give your campaigns wider reach. If you're feeling lucky, try using multiple platforms for your advertisements to gain more brand visibility and increase the following for your esports marketing brand.

6. Esports Team Event Sponsorships and Hosting

Sponsoring an eSports team will help you grab the attention of your audience quickly. You can do this by piggybacking on the popularity of an established streamer. The benefit of this is that you don't need to go scouting for an audience, as high-profile streamers already have a ready-made fan base that are core loyalists.

If you're a newbie in the eSports marketing community, you can also host team events and start small while at it. Visit gaming arcades and eSports hubs to look for small business owners willing to co-sponsor teams and go up from here. Some types of tournaments you can host on Twitch include mini tournaments and team meetings.

7. Video Marketing and Streaming Platforms

Within the marketing niche, videos have been known to stimulate more interest and engagement than any other type of content. The benefit of video marketing, over any other form, is that you dispense more information in a shorter timeframe while eliciting emotional responses from your passionate esports audience.

All major streaming platforms will allow you to place your video ads on someone else's stream. One important thing to remember here is that people who use these platforms are visiting for immersive experiences and entertainment. To ensure you're getting the needed attention and conversions, ensure your video ads are entertaining and captivating while choosing the right channel for maximum brand visibility.

8. In-Game Advertising in eSports

In-game advertisements involve placing ads within the eSports gaming environment as the event progresses. This advertising method can take various forms such as native ads, video ads, static banners, and rich media. Here's a look at what each in-game ad offers:

• Native ads. These ads are designed to blend naturally with the game.
• Video ads. Create engaging video content and seamlessly integrate it into the game.
• Static banners. Banner ads are exactly what they sound like. They're Non-intrusive and can be placed at the top, bottom, or corner of the in-game environment.
• Rich media. Visually appealing ads can be in video or banner format. The idea is to make them interactive to enhance user engagement.

9. Social Media Engagement and Community Building

Social media, particularly Twitch and YouTube, are adored by eSports gamers and fans for their video latency and quality. The degree of intimacy provided by these social media platforms has aided significantly in the popularity of eSports and the growth of the gaming industry. Enthusiasts and gamers have an opportunity to mingle, interact, and form communities, enhancing community engagement. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram also serve as good avenues for community building among gamers. These channels can provide coverage of the daily workings of eSports teams and players, offering valuable branding opportunities for esports organizations.

10. Experiential Marketing in Esports

Experiential eSports marketing offers a consumer-focused experience that is more tangible and interactive than other marketing strategies. With experiential marketing, the eSports event is the draw and you can create opportunities for brands to engage with potential customers in many forms.

The excitement created by organizing eSports events with a space for interactions, including virtual events and live events, is a great tool for drawing attention to your business. It's hard, however, to ignore the importance of social media in all this. Ensure you tap into the power of social networks to let people know where you’re going to be and who will be there with you.

Esports Marketing for Sportsbooks: What Advertisers Must Know

Esports are a huge untapped goldmine for advertisers and marketers. The video game competitions are entertaining and have a loyal fan base who will go great lengths to stream their favorite games and engage with their online friends. An offshoot of this ecosystem is eSports betting, which has created opportunities for fans to earn money on predictions.

Like traditional sports betting, fans can place bets on teams or players they predict will win. By fostering partnerships with popular teams and brands, marketers have a chance to leverage the extensive landscape of eSports bettors for financial gains. As an advertiser, here’s what you need to know:

What are eSports?

The name eSports is an abridged version of Electronic Sports. It's a subset of video gaming that takes the form of a competition using video games. These competitive events are organized between professional players, who might be playing individually or as part of a team.

Like regular sports, many eSports tournaments feature a similar structure comprising leagues, teams, and players. The social component of the game as evidenced by the interactive nature of livestreaming has made it popular to a large extent. The most popular genres of eSports include:

• Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA)
• Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG)
• Battle Royales
• Player vs. Player (PvP)
• First-Person Shooter (FPS)

How Large is The eSports Market?

In 2024, the projected revenue from eSports betting is estimated to reach $2.5 billion. An annual growth rate of 6.72% is set to lead to a projected market value of $3.5 billion by 2029. The United States generates the highest revenue in the eSports betting market, with a projected market value of $721.2 million in 2024.

Is eSports Part of iGaming?

Yes, eSports is classified under iGaming and online gambling companies have begun integrating it into their platforms. This blend of gaming and gambling has opened doors to more innovative betting types and markets. As its influence continues to reach every corner of the iGaming world, governments are scrambling to keep up. Within this new landscape, regulators are reevaluating gambling laws and introducing flexible regulations that fit better into the digital age.

How Does eSports Betting Advertising Work?

Esports betting marketing is similar to advertising traditional sports betting but with one key difference. The target audience for eSports requires a different tone of voice and marketing channels. Twitch and YouTube Gaming are the go-to platforms for eSports coverage, so this is where your target market for eSports betting should be domiciled.

The idea is to build a community of like-minded people through discussion forums and exclusive content creation. By building a strong and engaged community around your sportsbook, you can garner interest and ultimately drive traffic to your eSports betting platform. Some common advertising funnels that can help with this include:

• Influencer marketing
• Paid ads
• Social media engagement

What Are The Best eSports Advertising Solutions?

Although streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch have been the favored advertising solutions for eSports, innovative ad networks like Blockchain-ads have become the new powerhouse. This unbeatable platform has revolutionized advertising and is bringing real solutions to real traffic. So far, Blockchain-ads has delivered results for 9,000+ publishers and had 1,500+ successful campaigns.

What Are Some eSports Advertising Examples?

BC.Game and Stake.com, two foremost cryptocurrency-based online sportsbooks, have launched user acquisition campaigns using Blockchain-Ads. These advertising campaigns were designed to attract new paid players and maximize the returns on ad spending. Subsequently, these Blockchain-ads delivered strong results, driving both engagement and revenue for BC.Game and Stake.com.

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