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Gaming Time Soars Across Europe in 2022, Samsung Ads Finds
Samsung Ads, the media and advertising division of Samsung, has revealed the latest insights around gaming across its ecosystem in a new report, “Behind the Screens: Gaming Trends Report”.
As per the report, the number of Samsung Smart TVs used for gaming in Europe has increased 12% YoY, growing from 4.8 million in Q1 2021 to 5.4 million in Q1 2022. In the UK, this figure grew 14% to 1.5 million active Samsung gaming TVs in Q1 2022.
The growth of the Samsung gaming universe correlates with strong smart TV sales, coupled with the enhanced gaming experience on Samsung TVs and continuous adoption of next-generation game consoles.
In the UK, the number of total hours spent gaming on Samsung Smart TVs grew by 7% YoY, increasing from 191 million hours in Q1 2021 to 205 million hours in Q1 2022.
Overall, European gamers are playing more frequently year-on-year, which is reflected in a 2% growth in the average gaming sessions number per Samsung TV.
Different Habits for Different Consoles
When it comes to the generation of consoles, gamers in the Samsung universe who use consoles from previous generations – such as PS4, Switch, and Xbox One – still make up a majority share, accounting for 79% of all Samsung connected gaming consoles in EU5. However, next-generation consoles – such as PS5 and Xbox Series X & S – are also catching up, especially considering they were only released in November 2020.
Samsung Ads saw a 149% increase in the number of active next-generation consoles in the UK in Q1 2022 compared to the same time last year – the period immediately after the new generation consoles were released.
Next-generation console users tend to be particularly engaged with their new gadget and spend significantly more time per day playing than previous console users. In the UK in Q1 2022, the average time spent playing per Samsung TV per day was 2 hours 12 minutes on next-generation consoles, compared to 50 minutes on old generation consoles.
Gamers vs. Non-gamers
Gamers are engaging more with their Smart TVs, with the average total screen time among gamers 45% higher than that of non-gamers. Whilst Gamers spend 51% more time in streaming environments than non-gamers, they also spend 32% less time in linear environments than non-gamers.
When it comes to which environments Gamers are spending most of their time on Samsung TVs, Gamers spend nearly twice as much time in streaming environments as they do in linear TV, with 101 hours per quarter spent in linear compared to 195 hours of streaming.
When looking at the propensity to streaming amongst gamers, 35% of UK gamers are heavy streamers. Conversely, 40% of UK heavy streamers are gamers, demonstrating the strong correlation between gaming and heavy streaming audiences.
Streaming and gaming combined make up 75% of gamers’ total screen time on Samsung TVs across EU5 countries.
Gamers and AVOD
Gamers are often seen as early adopters of tech trends which is mirrored in their content consumption habits; AVOD accounts for 34% of streaming hours on gamer TVs, and the average time spent in AVOD environments is 41% higher amongst gamers than non-gamers.
Currently, YouTube is the leading platform in the AVOD category, but free, ad-supported streaming platforms such as Samsung TV Plus, Pluto and Rakuten are growing in popularity across Europe as viewers embrace premium, curated streaming content and no extra cost to them.
Gamers’ propensity for streaming is also reflected in their likelihood to watch Samsung TV Plus – Samsung’s free, ad-supported streaming service. Across EU5, gamers are 10% more likely to watch Samsung TV Plus than non-gamers. Among the genres on Samsung TV Plus, UK gamers tend to favour Entertainment, Documentaries and Sports programmes which have come out as the top three genres in Q1 2022.
“The growing scale of Samsung’s gaming universe and continued engagement among gaming audiences post-pandemic, reflects that gaming is now firmly cemented as a habit amongst Samsung TV users. Samsung’s unique position in gaming allows us to understand the gaming audience from both hardware and behaviour perspectives,” Alex Hole, Vice President of Samsung Ads Europe, said.
“Gamers outstrip our non-gamer audience in terms of time with their TV by 45% – and this can’t be accounted for by gaming alone. They’re more likely to access a range of Smart TV options from linear TV to on-demand streaming platforms. For gamers, Smart TVs are truly the hub of the home,” Alex Hole added.
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Eagerly anticipated release now confirmed following a highly successful exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive
Play’n GO has today announced the official US release of its hit title Colt Lightning Firestorm, following a three-week period of exclusivity with Rush Street Interactive brands BetRivers and SugarHouse.
Colt Lightning Firestorm was released in Europe and other jurisdictions in May 2024, and its release in the US comes with much fanfare following the game’s rave reviews in its short exclusivity period. The game is a sequel to the wildly popular Colt Lightning game which was released early last year, and indications at this stage suggest that this sequel may prove even more successful.
This announcement sees Colt Lightning Firestorm available to players in each state and operator with whom Play’n GO is licensed. Play’n GO first entered the online casino market in the US in 2022, and has reiterated its commitment to becoming active in every regulated market around the world.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO said: “We’re excited to unveil Colt Lightning Firestorm to the wider online casino gaming community in the US, and have been very pleased to see its strong performance during its exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive. We had high hopes for the game following the success of its predecessor, and we’re confident that these robust results will continue now that the game is available to an even bigger audience.”
Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced plans to host two popular esports events in Singapore in 2024 and 2025.
BLAST will bring both world-class Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to the heart of Southeast Asia, marking a major step in Singapore’s emergence as an esports and gaming hub. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), these high-profile events will bring the world’s best esports teams and players from all across the world to compete in Singapore.
BLAST has teamed up with AEG Presents Asia, one of the world’s largest live entertainment entities to bring these events to Singapore. The partnership forms part of BLAST’s ambition to create the best esports experiences by working closely with premier destinations and the biggest and best live entertainment partners.
More than half of global esports views (57%) are estimated to come from the Asia Pacific region, 47% more than any other region in the world with the global market valued at $1.6 billion.
By bringing the top-tier Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to Singapore, BLAST aims
to attract global esports talent, foster local growth, and elevate Singapore’s status as a destination for world-class esports entertainment.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring two of the biggest esports titles to this vibrant destination. Over the coming 18 months, Singapore will become a major hub for esports in Southeast Asia, and with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences for fans while helping to build a thriving esports ecosystem in the region. Bringing the first BLAST arena event to Singapore is an exciting first step in this journey. The World Final will see the world’s best Counter-Strike players and teams fighting for a $1,000,000 total prize pool.”
Ms Ong Ling Lee, Executive Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are excited to host the BLAST Premier World Final and the BLAST Dota Slam in Singapore. The Counter-Strike event marks the first BLAST-branded event in Southeast Asia and the inaugural Counter-Strike tournament series in the region, solidifying Singapore’s position as a world-class esports destination. We are confident that the international participants and their legions of fans will have a memorable experience in Singapore, immersing themselves in the diverse and dynamic offerings of our city.”
The World Final 2024 will take place from 30th October – 3rd November and will be the first BLAST event to take place in Singapore, followed by the BLAST Dota Slam in 2025. The World Final will be the biggest Counter-Strike event to take place in Singapore, where the world’s best eight Counter-Strike teams will compete for a massive prize pool of $1,000,000 and the chance to claim bragging rights as the best team around.
Qualified World Final teams: NAVI, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan and G2 Esports.
Fans can sign-up for the pre-sale window by registering with BLAST.tv, where they will also receive updates and information on tickets.
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