Nielsen is bringing its data and analysis expertise to esports

Esports are going to get in-depth viewer statistics and analysis with Nielsen's new esports vertical.

Nielsen, one of the top market research firms in the world and a leading provider of television viewer statistics and consumer data, announced today that it is bringing its insights to the world of competitive game with Nielsen Esports. It's a much-needed service for a field of entertainment that is still finding its legs on the internet and television.

Nielsen Esports will provide "sponsorship valuation, fan insights, custom industry research, and consulting services" based on data it gathers from esports events and esports communities (just like it does with television shows). Esports will finally have a go-to, trustworthy source for this kind of information.

Tournaments in games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, and Street Fighter are broadcast all over the world, sometimes on multiple websites and even on TV. These events generate tons of revenue, making accurate and in-depth analysis of data valuable to many parties.

Nielsen pointed out in its release just how much value these tournaments have and how these numbers are important for investors, advertisers, and participants.

"The playoff rounds of major 2017 esports tournaments measured by Esport24 to date, yielded anywhere from $75,000 to nearly $17 million in sponsorship value, emphasizing the need for standard metrics to help industry players understand the value they are providing, receiving, or missing out on, via brand activations in esports," Nielsen said.

With big brand names like Buffalo Wild Wings, Snickers, and Audi getting into the esports game, the need for concrete data and analysis is important to both advertisers, tournament organizers, and team organizations.