Report: China esports revenue grows 6.4% to $4B in 2025
China’s esports sector ended 2025 with revenue of ¥29.33 billion (about $4.02 billion), marking a 6.4 per cent year‑on‑year increase. While slower than early‑stage surges, the growth reflects a mature market expanding steadily. Key drivers included livestreaming monetisation, stable tournament operations, and increased brand partnerships tied to broader mainstream adoption.
Policy and leadership context
Esports has moved into the mainstream, with nearly half a billion domestic users engaging through short‑video clips, broadcasts and public tournaments. Chinese titles and leagues are expanding internationally, particularly in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, where mobile‑first gaming cultures and demand for major events are strong.
The report was released on 4 December at a conference in Beijing’s Shijingshan District by Tang Jiajun, Deputy Secretary‑General of the China Audio‑Video and Digital Publishing Association, who also serves as Secretary‑General of the Game Working Committee and Director of the Esports Working Committee. Governance remains a focus, with efforts to standardise operations, strengthen youth protection and build talent pipelines across roles such as coaches, analysts and production staff, aiming to support long‑term growth and public trust. Tang Jiajun, Deputy Secretary‑General of CADPA, outlined priorities for 2025 and beyond, focusing on industry stability, social responsibility and international competitiveness.
Revenue composition and monetisation
Livestreaming accounted for 80.81 percent of China’s esports revenue in 2025, driven by virtual gifting, subscriptions and sponsor placements. Creator‑led formats such as scrims, ranked play and match analysis kept audiences engaged throughout the year, not just during tournaments.
Creator and platform economics were supported by daily content that maintained engagement between major events, hybrid revenue models combining advertisements, live commerce and memberships, algorithmic promotion of short clips to new audiences, and tournament tie‑ins that converted casual viewers into regular followers.
Audience trends and demographics
China’s esports audience reached more than 495 million in 2025, a 1.06 percent increase from the previous year. Even small percentage gains translate into millions of new users, and engagement continues to deepen across multiple platforms. Viewership patterns show live streams are favoured for major matches and interactive chat, while video‑on‑demand is used for replays, highlights and learning, particularly in MOBA and shooter genres. Short social clips drive discovery, memes and player storylines.
By genre, shooters generated 28.3 percent of esports revenue, with MOBA and sports titles each contributing 14.1 percent. On platforms, mobile dominated with 58.6 percent of revenue, followed by PC at 25.3 percent, hybrid titles at 12.1 percent and browser games at 4 percent.
Offline comeback
China hosted 142 provincial‑level professional esports tournaments in 2025, 18 more than the previous year. Offline events made up 54 percent of the total, hybrid formats 37 per cent, and online competitions 9 percent, reflecting a mix of approaches to reach audiences and manage costs.
Shanghai accounted for 19.2 percent of offline events, reinforcing its role as the country’s leading esports hub. Chengdu and Chongqing followed with 10.6 percent and 7.9 percent respectively, forming a growing Southwest cluster for live tournaments.
The club landscape closed 2025 with 165 active esports clubs, concentrated in major cities with strong sponsor networks, media infrastructure and training facilities. Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen each hosted more than ten clubs, acting as centres for talent and operations. Most clubs specialised in a single title, with 54.3 percent fielding rosters in one game. About 22.8 percent competed in two titles, while smaller shares diversified into three (6.3 percent) or four (7.1 percent) titles, balancing focus with broader competitive and commercial opportunities.
Overseas growth
Chinese esports tournaments expanded in 2025 across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, with local qualifiers and regional finals adapted to audiences through language and scheduling. Top‑tier overseas events recorded more than 4.13 million peak concurrent viewers, highlighting strong demand for China‑developed esports competitions. Recently, the Honor of Kings World Championship Grand Final set a new Guinness World Record with 62,196 attendees at Beijing’s National Stadium, where AG Super Play beat Wolves Esports 4–2.
Future outlook
Future growth is expected to centre on improving content quality, with more polished broadcasts, clearer in‑game coverage and narrative formats such as documentaries and team diaries to broaden audience engagement. Global cooperation is also likely to expand, with co‑sanctioned events, regional leagues and licensing arrangements that balance domestic control with international reach, alongside continued emphasis on social responsibility and orderly development.
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