Mobile Esports Revenue in Southeast Asia Crosses $1 Billion Milestone
Mobile Esports Crosses a Major Milestone
The Southeast Asian mobile esports market has surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time, according to a report published by Niko Partners and Newzoo. The figure encompasses tournament prize pools, media rights, brand sponsorships, merchandise, and in-game item sales tied to esports events.
Indonesia accounted for 34% of the total, followed by the Philippines at 22%, Thailand at 18%, Vietnam at 14%, and Malaysia and Singapore combining for the remaining 12%. The region's young demographics, high smartphone penetration, and affordable mobile data plans have created ideal conditions for mobile esports growth.
Key Titles and Tournaments
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, developed by Shanghai-based Moonton (owned by ByteDance), dominates the Southeast Asian competitive scene. The Mobile Legends Professional League operates franchised leagues in five countries, with the M6 World Championship drawing 8.3 million peak concurrent viewers across streaming platforms.
Garena's Free Fire and Tencent's PUBG Mobile are the second and third most-watched esports titles in the region. The Free Fire World Series in Bangkok attracted 45,000 live attendees, the largest in-person esports event in Southeast Asian history.
Brand Investment Surge
Sponsorship revenue grew 67% year-over-year, with non-endemic brands increasingly entering the space. Unilever, Toyota, and Samsung all signed regional esports sponsorship deals in 2025. Thai energy drink brand Carabao became the title sponsor of the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia cup.
Niko Partners analyst Lisa Hanson said the brand interest reflects "a maturation of the ecosystem. Sponsors are no longer experimenting — they're committing multi-year deals because the audience demographics are exactly what consumer brands want: 18 to 34 years old, digitally native, and highly engaged."
Challenges and Outlook
Despite the growth, monetization per viewer remains far below traditional sports and even Western PC esports. Average revenue per esports viewer in Southeast Asia is estimated at $2.30, compared to $12.50 in North America and $7.80 in South Korea.
Niko Partners forecasts the Southeast Asian mobile esports market will reach $1.8 billion by 2028, driven by improved media rights deals, the inclusion of esports in the 2026 Asian Games, and continued expansion of professional leagues into tier-two cities across the region.
