The Games of the Future 2025 in Abu Dhabi certainly captured international attention. A new report from IPSOS, the global leader in market research, has revealed that the December tournament drew massive worldwide audiences across both broadcast and online channels.
Recently released figures show that the six-day event attracted:
- 461 million broadcast views
- 137 million unique viewers
- 388 million social media views
- 59 million hours watched
The report highlights strong performance across both gaming and phygital disciplines, with MOBA titles accounting for 45% of total viewership and drawing huge international audiences.
Phygital disciplines contributed 38% of total views, reflecting a growing interest in hybrid formats. Among these disciplines, Phygital Football emerged as the standout, delivering 19% of total views, supported by consistent engagement across both digital and physical phases of competition.
Other disciplines, such as Phygital Basketball, Phygital Fighting and Phygital Shooter, also continued to build audience share.
The data also points to audience behaviour that reflects a digital-first ecosystem. Streaming platforms accounted for 82% of total viewership, complemented by traditional broadcast, which continues to play an important role in extending reach across key markets.
Creator-led streams delivered the highest levels of engagement despite a smaller share of total volume — generating 24 million views across 64 channels — with top creators driving highly concentrated audiences.
Unsurprisingly, viewership peaked around key match moments, particularly finals, with audiences actively tuning in for the decisive stages of competition.
Geographically, Asia remained a core driver, with Southeast Asia and China accounting for 25% of total viewership, while Latin America emerged as a high-growth market contributing 21%, with strong traction for Phygital Football in particular.
Social media played a central role in amplifying the event’s reach and driving fan interaction. Overall performance included:
- 388 million views
- 2.4 million interactions.
Platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram led performance, highlighting the importance of short-form content and real-time engagement in driving visibility and fan interaction during the competition.
The audience profile further reflects the event’s appeal among digitally native fans:
- 90% aged between 18-34
This underscores the event’s relevance among younger, global audiences who engage with sport through gaming, streaming and creator-led ecosystems.
John Hewitt, International Marketing and Communications Director of Phygital International, said: “These independently verified results show the scale of what is being built through the Games of the Future. Audiences are responding to a format that reflects how they engage with sport today, with strong demand across both gaming titles and phygital disciplines. As this ecosystem continues to grow, we are seeing the foundations of a truly global and scalable model for competition.”
Highlights and replays from GOTF 2025 are still available on the official OTT platform: tv.gofuture.games. As GOTF moves to Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2026, the focus will be on building on this momentum and expanding audience reach.
