- In Italy more than 7 million people follow esports, but only a minority actively participate: the audience is there, but it is little involved
- GGTech and ProGaming Italia’s UNIVERSITY Esports project aims to bridge this gap, bringing more and more students closer to competitive gaming
- With more than 10,000 players involved, 50 participating universities and dedicated training content, UNIVERSITY Esports is now the benchmark for the national university scene
In recent years, the esports landscape has experienced exponential growth across Europe, both in terms of awareness and audience. However, despite widespread interest, in many countries the phenomenon remains tied to passive consumption, with millions of users watching but not participating.
In Italy this dynamic is particularly evident. The numbers speak for themselves: more than 7.3 million people claim to follow esports, but only 3.3 million do so regularly. Of these, an even smaller percentage take part in tournaments or events themselves. Moreover, just 10 percent of Italians aged 15-64 watch esports at least once a week, while 80 percent of the sample surveyed have never watched a competitive event in the past six months.
Thus, there is a significant gap between those who know the world of esports and those who actually experience it. A wide audience, curious, but little actively involved. This is a situation common to many European markets, where the notoriety of major titles does not always translate into a participatory experience. Italy, however, presents an even more interesting opportunity: the presence of a young, connected and passionate generation, looking for contexts in which to test themselves. Confirming this expanding scenario, the total number of video gamers in Italy reached 14 million in 2024, accounting for 33 percent of the population.
UNIVERSITY Esports as an entry point into the competitive world
UNIVERSITY Esports is more than just a tournament: it is the largest Italian project dedicated to esports in the university environment. Created with the aim of bringing the competitive world of esports closer to academic life, it has involved more than 10,000 players from more than 50 Italian universities, and is now recognized as the reference entity for university esports competitions in the country.
At the heart of the project is competition, of course: teams compete in beloved titles, such as League of Legends and VALORANT, to win the national title, with cash and experience prizes up for grabs for the winners. But what makes UNIVERSITY Esports truly unique is its educational and cultural value
But UNIVERSITY Esports is not just about competition. The first Split offered young students a wide range of activities and experiences, bringing them closer to the world of video games and promoting the development of inclusive, educational and recreational experiences within the university environment.
«UNIVERSITY Esports offers the possibility of transforming the huge audience of spectators into a generation of active players. In Italy there is a lot of passion for esports, but still little direct participation. UNIVERSITY Esports was created to bridge precisely this gap, enabling a structured, accessible and challenging environment where anyone can start playing, improve and feel part of a community. The response we are getting from students confirms that this is the right direction.» says Tao Martínez, Head of University Relations at GGTech Entertainment.
Through training workshops, meetings and moments of confrontation, UNIVERSITY Esports accompanies students on a path of discovery of professions in the video game industry, enhancing individual talent, creativity and digital skills. The goal is to generate and grow a conscious university community that knows how to combine the passion for esports with the values of healthy competition, collaboration and personal and professional development. Supported by partners such as Samsung Electronics Italia and Riot Games, UNIVERSITY Esports is now a reference platform not only for those who want to play, but also for those who want to learn about and experience the world of esports as a protagonist.