Juniper Research has identified 2017 as the watershed year for eSports, or the competitive playing of video games at a professional level, forecasting that there will be over 190 millon unique viewers next year across mobile and online channels.

The company argues that whilst to date revenues have largely been derived from subscriptions to online video platforms such as Twitch, eSports’ loyal and rapidly expanding audience makes it an increasingly attractive proposition for advertisers.

With viewing figures beginning to rival those of traditional sporting events – the League of Legends Championship attracted a peak audience of 14 million in December 2015 – Juniper anticipates adspend on the sector rising sharply next year.

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