The gaming industry in India received much-needed validation back in 2018 when gamer Tirth Mehta from Gujarat secured India's first E-sport bronze medal at Asian Games, Jakarta. This win brought e-gaming in India to the mainstream which is evident from the growing viewership and sponsorship gamers and gaming platforms are receiving. Last year, esports viewership grew to 17 million which was more than double from 2019. In fact, trends suggest that by 2025, the viewership is expected to reach 85 million. 

With the Millennial and Gen Z population getting hooked to gaming or esports in a big way, it is not surprising to see a spurge of gaming influencers in India with ever-growing follower counts on social media platforms like YouTube & Instagram. 

One example is Ajey Nagar. Satirist turned gamer that goes by the name CarryMinati on YouTube and Instagram has 37 Million subscribers and 16.3 million followers respectively. He is without a doubt one of the most sought-after gaming influencers out there, with e-commerce giant Myntra and gaming platforms like WinZo making him the face of their brands. 

But why are brands seeking Gaming influencers? What is the basis of their appeal? Is the high follower count of most gaming influencers the only reason for this love? These five reasons are why!

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A Reliable Career Path For Youngsters Today

What started as a hobby for many gamers, has turned into a career path with time. A serious video game influencer can earn 122x average salary from varied sources but namely through paid partnerships, streaming ads, working as testers or QC for gaming companies, and participating in e-sports events. However, only accomplished gamers who are consistent with their performance can monetize their gaming talent to such levels. 

Brands constantly want to work with gamers who are talented and dedicated towards the genre. They want to associate themselves with names who have won events because they will bring with them authenticity. 

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Acquiring The Young & Bold Gaming Audience

Here are some interesting facts about the audience of several big gaming influencers -

• Over 1K YouTube gaming channels have over 1 Million subscribers
• 200 million people watch gaming content on YouTube, which is double the TV audience of Super Bowl, 2018
• 74% of gamers watch gaming content to enhance their own skills

These numbers clearly indicate that the gaming audience is not just a sizable number, the engagement rate is higher too. Video game content creators live-stream their content for hours together. The audience spends a lot of time on the influencers' platform which guarantees visibility to brands who are partnered with the influencer. 

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Gaming Creator Space is Breaking Gender Barriers

If you thought that online gaming is the turf for only male creators, Think Again! A growing number of female creators are making a big mark. As per a Nielsen report - the engagement rate of the top 10 most influential women gamers stands at an impressive 11.7%. The same study also reported that around 61% of respondents in the US are passionate about gender equality in sports. 

We cannot ignore the fact that for the longest time, gender inequality prevailed in sports. Whether it was cricket or football, male sporting events always attracted better sponsorship and higher viewership. But the landscape is changing and women athletes across the spectrum are getting the much-needed audience and sponsorship support. The influencer gaming industry is pretty much in tandem with this trend. 

This is a great opportunity for advertisers and brands who believe in inclusivity and progressive positioning. 

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Increased Interest in E-Sports Broadcasting by OTT Platforms & Major Tv Networks

In June this year, Star Sports, India's largest sports network collaborated with Nodwin Gaming to Live broadcast India's first E-sport event - Battleground Mobile India (BGMI) Series tournament. The event registered a record viewership of 100 million views on Live game streaming platforms like Loco. 

OTT  networks like SonyLiv, Hotstar, Voot, and Amazon Prime are also promoting gaming on their platform aggressively.

Hosting or promoting grand esports events on such platforms means more gigs for gaming influencers and greater advertising opportunities for brands. 

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Readiness to collaborate with brands for Influencer Marketing

With big personalities and flamboyant styles, gaming influencers are ready for influencer marketing from the word “Go”. They already have a loyal fan base who are impressed by their skill and online presence. 

Today, not just gaming brands, but fashion and FMCG brands are choosing to work with social media gaming creators. For example, the popular beverage brand Mountain Dew has been seeking professional gaming creators to woo the young gamer community by partnering with a popular sports team. 

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Closing Thoughts!

The gaming community is growing and is not slowing down anytime soon. 2022 in particular was a big year for the gaming scene globally. Many call it the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic that saw many millennials join forces with GenZ to help grow the gaming community. galleri5 creator stack helps connect brands with the right creators which allows them to leverage their presence amongst the young crowd.