(Bloomberg) -- The electronic sports industry is likely to grow significantly in coming years and stocks in the sector are poised to benefit, according to DBS Group Holdings Ltd.
E-sports, or multiplayer video games played competitively by professional gamers, is a key investment theme in the Singapore-based bank’s quarterly CIO outlook as the phenomenon gains traction among increasingly wealthy millennials and their Generation Z counterparts. Live streaming will help lead to “exponential growth,” with companies such as Activision Blizzard Inc., Nintendo Co. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. set to benefit, according to Thursday’s report.
“E-sports is expected to undergo phenomenal growth in the coming years - from both a viewership and monetization standpoint,” the report said. “Game developers are predominantly the biggest beneficiaries given that they are involved in almost every facet of e-Sports – from games publishing to the creation of leagues and the hosting of tournaments.”
Streaming platforms and hardware manufacturers will also benefit, it said.
Exposure to the field has already been paying off for investors. The MVIS Global Video Gaming and eSports Index is up 47% since the end of 2018, compared with the S&P 500’s 31% advance. The gauge of 25 companies which includes NetEase Inc., Zynga Inc., Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc., has risen 3.4% this year versus a 1.4% gain in the broader benchmark.
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