Young males in UAE are most likely to follow gaming influencers: YouGov Study

YouGov’s new gaming report examines the global influencer fanbase across 17 global markets

New data from YouGov shows young UAE males between 18-34 years form the largest cohort of gaming influencer followers in the country as compared to the other demographic groups.

YouGov’s International Gaming Report 2021 is a three-part series on the global gaming influencer landscape. Part 1 sizes the gaming influencer global fanbase across 17 international markets and reveals where these influencer followers sit within the global influencer sector as a whole.

Data from the report shows that almost half (43%) of the global population across 17 international markets surveyed follow a social media influencer of any type, with UAE leading this space amongst all the surveyed markets (at 75%).

When we delve into the types of influencers followed, YouGov data reveals that food, health, and celebrity influencers have the highest following globally (12% or more), and just under one in ten consumers worldwide follow gaming influencers (9%). However, this changes significantly when we look at different demographic groups.

Globally, gaming influencers are the most popular type of influencers followed by males aged 18-34, with almost a quarter (23%) of all adults in this demographic segment following gaming personalities.

In the UAE, almost one in seven (15%) 18-34 year old males follow gaming influencers, similar to proportions in France, Sweden and Denmark. However, the highest numbers within this cohort are reported by Asian countries like Hong Kong, Indonesia and China.

When it comes to gaming frequency, the global proportion of those following gaming influencers increases from 9% overall to 15% among active gamers (playing video games 1+ hours per week), and 20% among heavy gamers (playing video games 11+ hours per week).

In the UAE, the number of those following gaming influencers increases from 13% (overall population) to 19% among active gamers and 23% among heavy gamers. This offers a unique value proposition for brands looking to reach an exclusive audience of influencer followers.

Apart from gaming, the fans of gaming influencers have a wide variety of other entertainment interests. In UAE, the top ‘other influencer’ categories followed by gaming influencer fans include sports (50%), celebrities (50%), health (46%), fashion (42%) and music (42%), thus increasing the scope for brands and advertisers who are interested in extending their influencer campaigns beyond gaming.

Nicole Pike, Global Sector Head of Esports & Gaming, YouGov said, “The continued growth of video gaming over the past two years has sky-rocketed gaming influencers to elite pop culture status, especially among Gen Z and millennial males. Gaming has evolved from a hobby to a primary form of entertainment and social engagement – and with this, personalities who stream gaming content have become the fan favorites of younger generations around the globe. Consumers are hungry for more ways to interact with gaming in their day-to-day lives, and gaming influencers have answered the call, connecting with fans across multiple platforms, while at the same time offering brand marketers a prime opportunity to engage with digital-first audiences who are becoming more difficult to reach via traditional media outlets.”

Download and read the full report here.