Playgroundz: Women dominate mobile gaming and spending, are scarce on YouTube and Twitch

Though the presence of women in gaming at the same level as men remains an unshakeable fact, women are still trailing considerably in public-facing spaces such as YouTube, Twitch, and on esports teams, according to a report from data analytics and research platform Playgroundz.

In its Leisure Economy Research Study, Playgroundz (in tandem with video game database API, the Internet Game Data Base, and the NPD Group) notes a number of trends in gamer, esports, and influencer demographics. To start, the study found that while women still make up about half of the industry (and are predicted to surpass the number of men as gamers by 2020), only 30% of gamers on YouTube, 22% of esports team members, and 19.5% of gamers on Twitch were women.

Women make up even more of the mobile industry, with over 75% of women gamers playing on mobile phones and 60% playing on tablets. Overall, 68% of mobile gaming revenue comes from women.

By age, Playgroundz reports that both younger and older age groups are gaming more. Since 2016, hours per week gaming for those ages 15-19 has increased by 33%, and adults age 55+ have increased their gaming by 16%.

Meanwhile, esports and influencer revenue continues to grow. According to the research study, the average salary of professional gamers has increased by 347% since 2016, going from an average of $2,800 a month to $12,500 a month.

Playgroundz predicts that in 2019, non-traditional revenue streams will continue to increase, eventually making up between 60 and 70 percent of gamer revenue. This includes avenues such as ad revenue, subscriptions, sponsorships, and donations.

"In summary, our findings show that the Leisure Economy is not just growing - it is booming," said Michael Yum, Playgroundz development cheif. "We expect this growth trend to continue into the foreseeable future. There is no ceiling for the videogame industry, and there is definitely no ceiling for the Leisure Economy."