Hero Esports CEO: Esports Belongs on Major Entertainment Stages
At Cannes Lions on June 25, 2026, Hero Esports CEO Danny Tang argued esports belongs on entertainment’s biggest stages, citing a whitepaper that estimates 400 million Gen Z engage regularly.
At the LIONS Sport track of Cannes Lions on June 25, 2026, Hero Esports co-founder and CEO Danny Tang addressed an international advertising audience and presented data intended to position esports on major entertainment stages. His presentation coincided with the release of a whitepaper titled The Esports Generation: Who They Are & Why They Spend, co-published by Hero Esports, ESL FACEIT Group and market researcher Niko Partners.
The study surveyed 8,000 Gen Z consumers across eight markets and estimates roughly 400 million Gen Z individuals regularly engage with competitive gaming. The paper also reports that about 640 million people watch esports globally, roughly 1.4 billion consume gaming content on social platforms, and around 3.6 billion people play video games each day.
Tang compared esports events to traditional entertainment in terms of venue and audience, citing sold-out arenas and major game titles. “From Bird’s Nest, to Barclay’s Center and Quodos Arena, arenas across the world are hosting esports events,” he told the LIONS Sport audience. He pointed to tournaments for Honor of Kings, Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends as examples.
The presentation referenced a Guinness World Record for the Honor of Kings 2025 King Pro League Grand Finals, when more than 62,000 fans attended at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest. That event also received a Webby Award for Best Use of Immersive in the Video & Film category.
The whitepaper reports that the average esports fan age is about 26 and that audience demographics are changing. It highlights a regional pattern in China where female attendees comprised more than 90 percent of the live tournament audience for PUBG Mobile events. The research also notes a 2021, 30-episode romance drama about esports reached over 4 billion views in its debut year.
ESL FACEIT Group CEO Niccolò Maisto joined the session to discuss commercial and operational aspects of scaling esports events for global audiences. The appearance was the first formal representation of esports in Cannes Lions’ sports programme.
The whitepaper includes market-by-market data for brands, rights holders and advertisers evaluating esports partnerships and is available for review.
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