Core Insights - The Chinese esports industry is experiencing significant growth, with revenue reaching 29.331 billion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 6.40% and a user base exceeding 495 million [1][3][6] - Despite the growth, the industry faces challenges related to its revenue structure, heavily reliant on sponsorships, which weakens the risk resilience of clubs and event operators [1][6][7] Industry Growth and Events - The KPL finals set a Guinness World Record with over 62,000 live attendees, showcasing the potential for mainstream acceptance and consumer engagement in esports [1][3] - The number of provincial and above-level professional esports events increased to 142 in 2025, with over half adopting a fully offline format, indicating a shift towards driving physical scene consumption [4] Revenue Structure and Challenges - Live streaming revenue constitutes 80.81% of the esports industry's income, while event and club revenues combined account for only 15.03%, highlighting a lack of diversification in revenue sources [6] - More than half of the clubs are tied to the performance of a specific game, indicating a vulnerability in the business model [6] Future Outlook and Recommendations - The industry must transition from a reliance on capital and traffic growth to a more sustainable model that converts online viewership into continuous consumer behavior [7] - Key areas for growth include integrating AI technology, enhancing the esports ecosystem, and exploring the "esports+" model to convert online traffic into offline consumption [7]