Research & Evidence

Esports Statistics

• The global esports industry generates $5.34 billion in revenue.

• Esports viewership reaches approximately 640 million, with 56% from mobile devices.​

• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike lead in combined viewership and prize pools.

• Sponsorships contribute $1.2 billion, the primary revenue stream.​

• Women comprise 28% of the esports viewing audience in North America.

• Over 280 colleges in the US offer varsity esports programs with scholarships.

• The global esports audience is expected to reach 924.9 million by 2030.

Reported by Robert A. Lee using statistical data from Demandsage

With such a significant number of esports vieweres in Asia Pacific it shows that CIS is uniquely positioned globally to build upon this booming market.

The esports industry has grown from a niche interest into a mainstream, well-established sector, and that momentum is now reaching shools worldwide. For CISP Esports Academy, this growth is the market validation behind the paid Development Academy tier with a rising, willing-to-pay audience of Phnom Penh families that turns the venture from a school subsidy into a program with its own revenue and growth trajectory.

The trend is not a fad.

High school esports participation has significantly increased since 2020, surpassing 200,000 registered competitive players by 2024. Schools that start scholastic esports programs keep them, because they work, not because they're a novelty. Global esports viewership reached 640.8 million in 2025, a scale that continues to pull mainstream sponsorship and media attention toward school-level programs specifically.

It produces measurable school outcomes, not just engagement. 

Schools running scholastic esports increasingly embed it as formal coursework with electives that include game strategy, esports management, content creation, digital wellness. These courses are delivered through structured seasons and leagues, exactly the model CISP Esports Academy proposes. Tiered, curricular academy structures are the direction the field is already moving. This isn't an invented format; it's where established programs are converging.

It builds real skills, not just play time. 

A study by Palmiero et al., "showed  marked  improvements  in  reaction  time,  selective  and  sustained  attention,  working  memory, and  visuomotor  speed,  with  large  effect  sizes  across  all  primary  cognitive  measures." This demonstrates skill building beyond the scope of Esports.  

Fletcher et al., surveyed students after an esports tournament whether they felt an increase in transferable skills such as communication, team work, perseverance, resilience, problem solving, and social skills. All reported positive growth in those areas with the largest being communication, team work, problem solving and resilience.