While the esports industry hit $1 billion in revenue for the first time last year, it’s still generally associated with PC and console gaming. However, according to new reporting from Daily Esports, mobile esports are one of the fast-growing segments in the industry. As people living in emerging markets are becoming increasingly engaged with mobile gaming, the accompanying esports market is expected to grow rapidly.

Last year, mobile game Free Fire drew in more than 130 million online views for its 2019 World Finals in Brazil. At its peak, the tournament had more than two million concurrent viewers, breaking all previous viewership records for mobile esports.

PUBG Mobile also drew a lot of attention for its 2019 tournament. The PUBG Mobile Club Open brought in more than ten times the views of the previous year’s tournament. With a massive prize pool surpassing $2 million, the tournament garnered 532 million views. At its peak, the tournament had more than 600,000 concurrent viewers.

The segment is continuing to grow with the release of well-known properties. Call of Duty: Mobile, for example, has more than 170 million downloads. While Activision has yet to host large tournaments for the title, DE reports that many local organizers have hosted their own tournaments. One tournament in Thailand, for example, had a $6,600 prize pool.

DE credits the fast growth of mobile esports to its accessibility. In 2019, revenue from mobile gaming hit $68.5 billion, a clear majority of total gaming revenue. According to a Newzoo estimate, the market is expected to grow 12% in 2020, to $76.7 billion. 

The mobile market is expected to take up a larger part of the overall gaming market in the coming years. According to the same report, the mobile market is expected to make up 59% of total game revenue by 2021. As the dedicated mobile gaming market continues to grow, mobile esports are expected to follow.

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