Ali AlJehani, Senior Vice President – MENA, dentsu Sports International.For years, esports has been defined by its tournaments. Packed arenas, prize pools and livestream viewership have been used as the primary signals of growth. But in Saudi Arabia today, the real engine of esports sits somewhere else entirely: the social feed.
Our recent consumer research across the Kingdom shows that gaming culture increasingly spreads through platforms and creator ecosystems rather than through tournament broadcasts themselves. While 29.5 per cent of respondents say they watch esports tournaments, a larger share, 42.4 per cent say they regularly watch gaming videos online.
That difference is significant. It suggests that for many audiences, esports is experienced not through the competition itself but through the highlights, commentary and creator reactions that circulate across platforms afterwards. In practice, tournaments create the moment. The feed determines whether that moment becomes culture.
This dynamic reflects a broader shift in how entertainment spreads in Saudi Arabia, driven overwhelmingly by the Kingdom’s under-30 demographic. Nearly 74.7 per cent of consumers say they regularly watch online video on platforms such as YouTube or TikTok. These environments have become the primary discovery layer for gaming moments, where spectacular plays, reactions and commentary can travel far beyond the original audience.
A single play during a tournament might reach thousands of viewers live. But once clipped, remixed and shared through creator networks, that same moment can reach millions.
‘‘The feed now determines how the moments fans care about are remembered.”
Gaming is now mainstream entertainment
Gaming itself has moved firmly into the mainstream of Saudi media consumption. Nearly seven in 10 respondents say they play video games at least weekly, while 35.7 per cent report playing daily.
Equally important is how they play. Gaming in Saudi Arabia is fundamentally mobile-first, with 50.9 per cent of players saying their primary gaming device is a smartphone. Consoles account for 34.5 per cent of gameplay and personal computers (PCs) just 10.9 per cent.
Mobile gaming aligns naturally with a platform-driven media environment. Short sessions, social sharing and instant highlights all fit seamlessly into the mobile-first habits that dominate younger audiences.
Creator culture plays a critical role in this ecosystem. For many fans, gaming content is consumed through creators who provide commentary, humour and personality around gameplay. Their streams, clips and reactions often act as the bridge between the competition and the wider audience. The result is that esports moments frequently reach far larger audiences through creator ecosystems than through the original tournament broadcast.
None of this means tournaments are losing relevance. They remain the catalyst that generates the moments fans care about. But the centre of gravity has shifted. The feed now determines how the moments fans care about are discovered, discussed and remembered.
Visibility alone no longer works for brands
This shift is also forcing brands to rethink how they approach gaming sponsorship.
Traditional sports marketing has historically focused on visibility. Logos on jerseys, banners inside arenas and placements within broadcasts were designed to maximise impressions. Gaming audiences behave differently. They are highly attuned to authenticity and quick to recognise when a brand appears without contributing meaningfully to the experience.
Our research shows gaming partnerships can be highly effective when they feel embedded within the environment. More than 70 per cent of respondents say a brand partnership with a video game or gaming character improves how they feel about that brand.
However, the format of that integration matters. Passive placements such as in-game ads generate less enthusiasm than more immersive activations. Instead, audiences respond more positively to branded game characters, in-game items and experiences that become part of gameplay itself.
In gaming ecosystems, brands succeed when they enable the experience rather than interrupt it.
The new esports ecosystem
The platform landscape reinforces this reality. Short-form environments such as TikTok and Snapchat act as discovery engines where highlights and reactions spread rapidly across audiences. Streaming platforms build deeper engagement through extended gameplay and creator commentary. Gaming communities add another layer again, with 18.9 per cent of respondents saying they participate in communities where players discuss games, share strategies and organise play sessions.
Together these layers create a continuous cycle of discovery, conversation and participation. The influence of storytelling extends beyond gaming itself. Cross-media discovery is increasingly common among fans. In fact, 81.5 per cent of respondents say they have started playing a video game after watching or listening to a TV show, movie or podcast based on it.
The same behaviour appears in traditional sports. Nearly 64.6 per cent of respondents say they have watched a football-related sports docuseries, and 55.6 per cent say they began following football more closely after watching one.
Across gaming, esports and sport, the pattern is consistent. Fans are drawn not only to the competition itself but also to the personalities, narratives and behind-the-scenes access that surround it.
For brands and rights holders, the implication is clear. Esports tournaments remain an important stage, but they are no longer the primary engine of cultural momentum. That engine now lives in the feed, where creators, communities and platforms amplify moments and transform them into shared cultural experiences.
Because, in today’s gaming ecosystem, fans do not simply watch the moment. They decide how far it travels.
By Ali AlJehani, Senior Vice President – MENA, dentsu Sports International.
