Mobile esports company Skillz has announced that it has awarded more than $50 million US dollars in prizes since it was founded in 2012, accounting for over 30% of all esports prize money in 2016.
Last year Skillz accounted for 21% of all esports prize money, and in 2014 it was 8.4%, showing a rapid growth for the company over the last three years, especially considering this year's awards so far amount to $30 million, whereas from 2012 to 2015 together it amounted to $20 million. To put these figures into perspective, League of Legends tournaments have generated around $30.9 million as a whole.
At the moment more than 10 million players are competing in Skillz tournaments, not to mention those watching the competitions through streaming services like Twitch. This year they are projecting to host over 70 million tournaments, a 300% increase on last year, as well as broadcasting over 40 million minutes of competitive gameplay, increasing from 8.5 million minutes last year.
"More than 2.1 billion people play mobile games daily, making mobile the most popular gaming platform in history," Andrew Paradise, founder and CEO of Skillz, commented. "Despite such a large market opportunity, it wasn't possible for game developers to easily implement fun, interactive and rewarding competition before Skillz. We're dedicated to building the multiplayer social fabric that enables mobile esports for everyone."
More information about Skillz can be found on their website. Do you watch the competitions they offer?