What Are the Richest Esports Organizations in 2022?
The gaming market is valued at close to $150 billion and esports specifically are valued at over $1 billion. The market is expected to grow annually at over 20%. Some esports organizations have positioned themselves perfectly and captured huge portions of the esports market. In this article, we are going to look at the richest esports organizations. To find out more in-depth information about these teams, head to player space.
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1. TSM – $540 Million
TSM is the richest esports team on the planet with an estimated value of half a billion dollars. TSM are one of the top League of Legends and Valorant teams in the world and also compete in a range of other esports such as Dota 2, Super Smash Bros, Fortnite, and Apex Legends.
TSM’s estimated revenue in 2021 was $56 million. TSM has signed massive sponsorship deals but took a big hit following the collapse of FTX, which was one of their key sponsors. Luckily for TSM, they have a flourishing tech business. They own an app called Blitz which helps gamers improve their skills and Dyno an effective moderation app for Discord servers.
2. 100 Thieves – $460 Million
100 Thieves is an American esports team that competes in a number of games including Call of Duty: Vanguard, League of Legends, Valorant, and Apex Legends. 100 Thieves has a lot of high-profile owners including Drake, Scooter Braun, and Dan Gilbert.
In 2021 100 Thieves had an estimated revenue of $38 million. They are trying to do something different from other esports teams by creating a lifestyle brand. They are selling virtually everything you can think of while making acquisitions in the space. They recently purchased the gaming keyboard brand Higround.
They received over $60 million in venture capital and thanks to their high profile and deep-pocketed investors want to eventually take the company public. It remains to be seen if they can deliver long-term profits or if their lifestyle shtick will fade away.
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3. Team Liquid – $440 Million
Team Liquid continues to grow and its revenue is exploding. The Dutch-founded organization had an estimated revenue of $38 million in 2021. They are one of the biggest esports teams and compete in virtually every game including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Valorant, Apex Legends, Dota 2, Fortnite, Free Fire, Hearthstone, PUBG, Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, Starcraft 2 and Super Smash Bros.
Team Liquid makes most of its money through sponsorship deals. They also own a number of other businesses including Liquipedia which is the Wikipedia for esports, a video production company, and an influencer management company. Investors are liking what they are seeing as Team Liquid successfully raised over $30 million from venture capital firms and private investors!
4. Cloud9 – $380 Million
Cloud9 is a Los Angeles, California-based esports organization with a sky-high valuation that matches their name. Cloud9 focuses mostly on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Valorant. They also perform well in Halo, Super Smash Bros, and Fortnite.
In 2021 their revenue was an estimated $35 million from mostly advertising and sponsorship deals. Cloud9 is your classic esports company and have not veered too far away from gaming. However, to grow they have started adding new revenue streams including a coaching app and paid content. Cloud9 is valued at $380 million and if its other business ventures prove fruitful this valuation could soar.
G2 Esports – $340 Million
G2 Esports is based in Berlin and in 2021 had an estimated revenue of $31 million. They are famous for their successful Valorant, CS:GO, and League of Legends teams. They also compete in Rocket League, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and other games.
G2 Esports have signed lucrative clothing deals with top brands including Adidas, Ralph Lauren, and New Era. They are also looking to become truly international by opening a headquarters in the US. G2 Esports is trying to diversify its income streams away from just advertising and has recently opened a music label and a video content business. It remains to be seen if G2 Esports can turn these new ventures into profitable businesses!
Final Thoughts
TSM is currently the richest esports organization. Unlike other teams, they don’t just rely on sponsorship deals to make money and have a successful tech business. Their tech business is based around a Discord moderation bot called Dyno and an esports training app called Blitz. Comment below which esports company you think will reach a $1 billion valuation first.