When it comes to esports markets, South America was often neglected in favor of ‘stronger’ markets like Europe and North America. Despite this, Brazilian esports have grown into a huge power – esports in Brazil took off incredibly well.
A Mobile Paradise
Similar to trends in Asian countries like South Korea, Japan, and more, it was especially mobile esports that people took to in Brazil. Brazilian esports are huge – the country has one of the biggest audiences in the world, with over 9.2 million regular viewers.
While the same games that are popular in the West – Dota 2, CS:GO, LoL and the like find audiences in Brazil, a large number of esports fans also watch mobile competitions. An example of this would be the Free Fire World Series 2019 – a mobile battle royale tournament held in Rio that had a peak viewership of over 2 million viewers.
What’s in a Name?
The South American esports world looks a little different from Western and Asian markets – including Brazilian esports. One trend that you’ll find in the region is the naming of teams after sponsors and brands.
One of the biggest Brazilian esports teams – the LoL team Kabum! Is named after an e-commerce company, for example – similarly, many big teams are named after their biggest sponsor or owner. A rare example of this would be team Kinguin in Poland – so named after a games marketplace.
Brazilian Esports - A League of Its Own
In many global esports titles, the esports in Brazil have their own divisions – Latin America is often its own region, separate from North America, and Brazil in particular has a huge number of small to medium tournaments that aren’t always particularly well-known overseas.
Some Brazilian esports pros on the other hand are – Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, for example, is a very well-known CS:GO pro, and one of almost half a dozen Brazilian CS:GO players with earnings in the millions of dollars across their careers.
Another popular trend when it comes to esports in Brazil is one that we have already seen in countries like the UK or even Germany – traditional sports clubs, especially football teams, are flocking to esports and are creating their own esports teams. Flamengo Esports, for example, is the esports department of football club Flamengo, and competes in the highest LoL League in Brazil – the CBLoL.
That's it for our overview of Latin America's strongest esports power. Thirsty for journeys? Check out some of our other Around the World articles below.
AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:
- Around the World: Esports in Germany
- Around the World: Esports in India
- Around the World: Esports in the UK
Find more gaming and esports news here, on EarlyGame. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel too.
