Past Events

The Esports industry has been developing rapidly in Hong Kong and around the world. It generated estimated revenue of US$696 million in 2017, and this is expected to reach US$1.49 billion in 2020, making it one of the fastest growing economic activities in the world. At a roundtable luncheon on 14 May, Derek Cheung, Founder and CEO of Hong Kong Esports, gave an insider’s perspective on the development of the sector. In addition to owning four professional gaming teams, Hong Kong Esports also operates a content platform that has accumulated more than 5 million monthly active users and is rapidly expanding across Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. During his talk, Cheung said that he welcomed the Government’s efforts to promote Esports in Hong Kong through the allocation of HK$100 million, as announced in the recent Budget.

Representatives from Youth I.D.E.A.S. of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups were also on hand to present their recent research findings and recommendations to promote professional gaming in Hong Kong. They noted that Hong Kong needed to overcome a number of obstacles in order to develop Esports, including the negative perception of gaming. Youth I.D.E.A.S. suggested that setting up an “Esports hub” would be useful in providing infrastructure. They also recommended introducing training programmes at educational institutions, and inviting world-class tournament winners to become ambassadors for Esports, to help cultivate a positive image and better understanding of the sector.

Derek Cheung

HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S.

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