25 Most Successful Esports Countries by Prize Money so far in 2020

Published

6 years ago

July 15, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

– United States leads the way winning $7.2m

– Brazilian players most in form this year

– Bulgarian and Danish players win the most prize money per person on average

– Only 60% of tournaments played compared to this time last year

New Unikrn research shows players are winning MORE on average so far in 2020 than 2019 – despite pandemic

Esports players from the top 25 countries are earning more average prize money in 2020 so far than at the same point in 2019, new research shows.

Despite a number of tournaments being cancelled, professional gaming is still thriving during a global pandemic.

So much that despite playing 40% less tournaments than at this point last year, players are earning more money on average per tournament.

World-leading esports bookmakers Unikrn have revealed the finding after analysing the top 25 countries for prize money so far this year.

By the end of June last year, $67million had been won by more than 26,000 players from 2,715 tournaments across the esports circuit.

Whereas by the same time this year, only $38.8m was won by almost 11,000 players in 1,622 tournaments.

The average tournament prize pool was very similar each year – in 2019 it sat at $23,988, compared to $23,920 in 2020.

However, in the first half of 2019, players were only winning on average $2,492 compared to individuals taking home $3,652 in 2020.

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The research also found that like last year the United States leads the way at the halfway point of 2020 with players winning a massive $7.2m in prize money.

Identical to the first six months of 2019, China and Korea make up the top three.

Brazil are the biggest movers in 2020 rising from 9th to 4th in the rankings helped by Magic World Championship XXVI champion PVDDR’s $300k victory.

The highest prize money to player ratio sits with Bulgaria, maybe surprisingly. Their top 5 players including Complexity’s poiz0n are spread across CS:GO, DOTA2 and League of Legends.

The Danish also have a high turnover on prize money with 173 players averaging $9,564.

In 2019, the prize money across esports increased heavily from huge tournaments such as DOTA2’s The International setting a prize pot of $35million and the Fortnite World Cup Finals.

But with both of these tournaments cancelled and many others postponed, total prize money for 2020 is estimated to be considerably lower than 2019.

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Most Successful Countries By Prize Money Won (All Esports)

	2019 (Jan-July)					2020 (Jan-July)
	Country	Total Prize Money	Players	Average prize money		Country	Total Prize Money	Players	Average prize money
1	United States	$10,079,707.15	5902	$1,707.85	1	United States	$7,280,222.31	1999	$3,641.93
2	Korea	$5,438,336.48	1377	$3,949.41	2	China	$3,093,705.23	379	$8,162.81
3	China	$4,876,979.55	1027	$4,748.76	3	Korea	$2,356,078.82	573	$4,111.83
4	France	$2,290,981.17	1378	$1,662.54	4	Brazil	$2,284,006.59	420	$5,438.11
5	Denmark	$2,234,162.91	652	$3,426.63	5	Russian Federation	$1,718,361.31	454	$3,784.94
6	Russia	$2,179,829.93	855	$2,549.51	6	France	$1,703,512.13	441	$3,862.84
7	Canada	$2,011,038.76	884	$2,274.93	7	Denmark	$1,654,614.71	173	$9,564.25
8	Sweden	$1,933,771.15	712	$2,715.97	8	United Kingdom	$1,327,882.15	348	$3,815.75
9	Brazil	$1,861,949.00	989	$1,882.66	9	Canada	$1,307,092.60	319	$4,097.47
10	Germany	$1,824,623.63	1032	$1,768.05	10	Germany	$1,304,784.38	500	$2,609.57
11	Finland	$1,672,037.47	405	$4,128.49	11	Sweden	$1,176,960.10	215	$5,474.23
12	United Kingdom	$1,438,156.76	915	$1,571.76	12	Australia	$891,602.63	359	$2,483.57
13	Australia	$1,278,719.22	838	$1,525.92	13	Thailand	$826,835.23	314	$2,633.23
14	Poland	$1,158,065.87	624	$1,855.87	14	Finland	$792,457.03	96	$8,254.76
15	Philippines	$1,106,753.39	200	$5,533.77	15	Poland	$596,336.18	221	$2,698.35
16	Japan	$973,735.09	406	$2,398.36	16	Ukraine	$574,589.16	112	$5,130.26
17	Thailand	$882,805.98	350	$2,522.30	17	Norway	$439,630.18	67	$6,561.64
18	Bulgaria	$860,229.50	118	$7,290.08	18	Netherlands	$399,067.54	150	$2,660.45
19	Norway	$714,775.28	225	$3,176.78	19	Japan	$325,085.28	223	$1,457.78
20	Spain	$625,412.64	392	$1,595.44	20	Bulgaria	$310,401.72	24	$12,933.41
21	Ukraine	$623,458.01	278	$2,242.65	21	Philippines	$290,771.52	71	$4,095.37
22	Taiwan	$600,532.10	211	$2,846.12	22	Turkey	$281,767.76	128	$2,201.31
23	Netherlands	$519,272.80	451	$1,151.38	23	Malaysia	$252,612.81	43	$5,874.72
24	Italy	$490,560.54	137	$3,580.73	24	Argentina	$251,784.40	79	$3,187.14
25	Malaysia	$463,826.66	175	$2,650.44	25	Estonia	$240,863.04	37	$6,509.81

Total Prize Money, Tournaments and Players (All Esports)

2019 (Jan-July)		2020 (Jan – July)
Total Prize Money	$66,992,940.50	Total Prize Money	$38,798,059.63
Total Tournaments	2715	Total Tournaments	1622
Total Players	26141	Total Players	10625
Average tournament prize pool	$23,987.94	Average tournament prize pool	$23,919.89
Average player prize money	$2,492.18	Average player prize money	$3,651.58

Best Countries By Average Player Prize Money

Country	Average prize money per player
Bulgaria	$12,933.41
Denmark	$9,564.25
Finland	$8,254.76
China	$8,162.81
Norway	$6,561.64
Estonia	$6,509.81
Malaysia	$5,874.72
Sweden	$5,474.23
Brazil	$5,438.11
Ukraine	$5,130.26

**Stats from www.esportsearnings.com – does not include information about salaries, bonuses or sponsorships

Esports Foundation opens 2026 co-streaming Creator Program with $2m rewards pool

Published

3 days ago

June 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-opens-2026-co-streaming-creator-program-with-$2m-rewards-pool

The Esports Foundation (EF) has opened applications for its 2026 Creator Program, committing $2 million (~INR 19 crore) in rewards for co-streamers supporting the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris and the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 in Riyadh. EF announced the program on June 12, 2026, from Paris and Riyadh, and said applications are open now, including for creators across India.

EF said co-streaming was a key driver of EWC reach last year, citing 3,500 co-streamers as “one of the key growth pillars” for EWC viewership in 2025. The Foundation is positioning the 2026 Creator Program as a scaled-up initiative, targeting 5,000 creators “across new regions and platforms.”

“This isn’t just an esports trend; it’s a media trend,” said Wasae Imran, Director Broadcast & Distribution at the Esports Foundation. “Across music, video, news and sport, audiences don’t just watch what they’re given anymore. They choose their own experience: what to watch, where to focus, and how deep to go. Esports just lives further down that road than most, and traditional sport is heading the same way. It’s not about delivering a match in one format, it’s about opening up every way into the same moment and letting fans choose how they want to consume it. The Creators Program is how we build for that, by enabling the growth of creators that fans already trust to carry the world’s biggest esports event into every community.”

According to EF, approved creators can co-stream selected tournaments, complete missions, and progress a “Battle Pass” tied to rewards ranging from gift cards and hardware to platform perks and invitations to EWC and ENC. EF said the program supports multiple streaming platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Bilibili, Huya, and CHZZK.

EF also confirmed operational details for EWC 2026: the event is set for Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from July 6 through August 23, featuring more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries across 25 tournaments and 24 games, with a $75 million+ prize pool. ENC 2026 is scheduled for November in Riyadh and will extend the creator program to a nation-based competition format.

The post Esports Foundation opens 2026 co-streaming Creator Program with $2m rewards pool appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BLAST

BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events

Published

4 days ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

blast-partners-with-match-on-premium-fan-travel-for-2026-27-events

Deal covers travel and hospitality packages across BLAST’s event slate, starting with BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals in November.

BLAST has signed a one-year partnership with MATCH to develop premium fan travel experiences and related commercial opportunities across BLAST events in 2026 and 2027, including the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals 2026. The companies said the work will start immediately, with an initial focus on the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals event in November.

BLAST VP of Destinations and Market Development James Woollard said: “We’re thrilled to partner with MATCH, a company with an unrivalled track record in delivering top-tier fan travel experiences at the biggest sporting events in the world. As BLAST continues to grow globally and attract growing numbers of travelling fans, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to further elevate the live event experience for fans and audiences across esports.”

MATCH is best known for hospitality and accommodation programmes at major sports events, including four consecutive FIFA World Cups from 2010 to 2022, as well as Ryder Cup tournaments, Formula 1 Grands Prix and ATP tennis tournaments. MATCH Director of UK Events and Business Strategy Richard Parker said: “Esports is one of the most exciting growth frontiers in live entertainment, and BLAST stands out as a world-class platform with incredible potential. At MATCH, we see a tremendous opportunity to bring our expertise in creating premium fan experiences into the esports arena. We are very enthusiastic about the possibility of working together with BLAST to deliver innovative, unforgettable experiences for esports fans worldwide.”

BLAST said MATCH will also bring its network of clients, sponsors, federations, agents and media partners to support international attendance and partner activation, alongside MATCH’s technology and operational infrastructure. The announcement follows BLAST’s 2025 live events activity, where the organiser said it delivered 15 arena shows across 10 countries spanning five titles and sold 194,421 tickets.

The post BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Counter-strike

Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major

Published

4 days ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-opens-v.hub-fan-zone-for-iem-cologne-major

Team Vitality is launching an official fan zone, V.Hub, to coincide with the 2026 IEM Cologne Major. The venue will run June 18-21 at KWB im Stadtpalais, a short walk from the LANXESS Arena.

Access to V.Hub will be free for fans who sign up, with limited availability. Team Vitality said the space is intended to bring together its community, partners and Counter-Strike fans attending the event.

The fan zone will include dedicated areas hosted by Team Vitality and partners Skin.Club, ASUS ROG, EVNIA and Blacklyte. The club said activations will include hands-on experiences and opportunities to play bespoke Counter-Strike maps.

Team Vitality also plans match watch parties, a pop-up shop for official merchandise and giveaways, including an ASUS ROG x Team Vitality co-branded mousepad. During the playoff stage, the club said V.Hub will be set up for trophy photo opportunities with its Major trophies.

Food and drink will be available on site throughout the event, including vegetarian options.

The post Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.