Esports in CPA: an overview of the e-sport niche for affiliate marketing

In the minds of people far removed from online gaming, Dota, Counter-Strike, and other popular disciplines are still seen as nothing more than casual entertainment. In reality, the esports niche has undergone a major transformation over the past few years and now generates billions of dollars in profit annually. 

In this article, we'll cover the e-sport vertical in the CPA marketing space. We'll break down how to drive traffic to offers and show creative examples from SPY services. 

Esports Vertical: Key Features

Esports today is a highly profitable industry with a wide range of competitive disciplines and strong growth prospects. Every year, major companies host tournaments watched by millions of gamers from around the world. 

Various organizations are also actively investing in the development of the esports market. For example, according to a Reuters report, Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group is investing $37.8 billion into esports to boost the local gaming community. 

Data from analytics platform Statista shows that the e-sport market grows at an average of 7–8% annually. Full 2023 figures are not yet available, but analysts forecast a market turnover of $1.6 billion — with some sources citing a figure as high as $2.17 billion. 

The esports niche saw significant growth during the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many new streamers emerged, and users began watching more online broadcasts and game playthroughs. 

Among the top disciplines in Ukraine and globally, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 stand out. LOL, PUBG Mobile, Hearthstone, and Overwatch also remain in high demand.

The core target audience consists of people aged 18–40, predominantly male. Nearly 70% of Gen Z worldwide consider gaming a part of their lives. They actively follow major tournaments, watch live streams, and enjoy placing bets on their favorite teams. 

One of the defining characteristics of the esports niche in affiliate marketing is its similarity to classic betting. Player activity spikes significantly during major tournaments: CS:GO Major, LoL World, Valorant Champions Tour, and The International. 

Which Affiliate Programs to Drive Traffic To

Esports-specific offers are hard to find in affiliate networks. Affiliates will need to test traffic across various sportsbooks that carry e-sport lines and build their setups from scratch. Guides and case studies in this niche are virtually nonexistent. 

We analyzed the offerings of popular sportsbooks and compiled the key data into a table below. If you've been looking to test esports traffic — join these affiliate programs and find the right tool to monetize your traffic. 

The list includes many tier-1 projects with attractive terms, but they often restrict access to conventional traffic sources and focus on SEO/ASO. Competition in organic traffic is still not as fierce as in traditional betting, though acquiring that traffic is challenging for newcomers. 

Also pay close attention to payout terms. For example, bookmaker BC.Game pays $1,000 for each referral who reaches VIP level 70 — an achievement that requires the player to deposit and wager tens of thousands of dollars. 

Terms vary from brand to brand, but nearly all of them require pre-moderation after registering for the affiliate program. In some cases, you'll need to track down managers and reach out to them directly, since offer details are not always available inside the personal dashboard. 

The choice between RevShare, CPA, and Hybrid should be made after a test run. RevShare is valuable for its lifetime payouts, while CPA gives you the opportunity to receive money immediately after the hold period ends. 

Funnel and Creative Examples

Due to its similarities with classic betting, most funnels for esports are built in an identical way. In the online gaming niche, it's easier to get quasi-free traffic thanks to lower competition. The same applies to ad network auctions. 

Running traffic to esports offers from Facebook or Google Ads should follow the same playbook as classic betting. There's no difference in this regard — you'll need a whitehat creative with emotional hooks or news angles, along with a solid pre-lander. 

The approaches to driving traffic to esports offers are standard, but maximum focus should be placed on emotions. Most players come to sportsbooks for the emotional experience, with quick money being a secondary motivation. 

As for conversion rates in esports, we managed to find data from the Favbet brand. It relates to the product as a whole, not esports exclusively. 

• UAC = Reg2dep = 34%.
• FB apps = Reg2dep = 30%.
• TikTok (streams) = Reg2dep = 19%. 

The stats make a case for working with UAC, but this source is specific. Beginners find it difficult to keep the install cost stable, and during the algorithm's learning phase you can easily burn through several thousand dollars with no guaranteed ROI. 

Creative examples are scarce, but they clearly lean on flashy effects, in-game interface showcases, and bonus highlights. 

Standard examples featuring stream clip compilations are nowhere to be found in spy tools, even though Twitch and other platforms are home to plenty of popular streamers right now. This means there's room to create unique creatives and run profitable campaigns for your chosen GEO. 

Esports offers in the CPA marketing space are still not in high demand among affiliates, but that doesn't mean they don't convert. It all comes down to the approach you take when building your funnels.