Supercell recently launched a new tournament function for their hit mobile game, Clash Royale. To celebrate, the publisher supported a week of competitions from July 4 to July 10 and the marketing effort has paid off, according to Newzoo. Revenues, downloads and Twitch viewership for the game increased compared to the weeks prior, particularly on the Fourth of July.
Using ESports As A Marketing Platform
Recently acquired by Chinese mobile giant, Tencent, Supercell utilized the power of eSports engagement to increase brand awareness during the holiday week. In the two weeks since the tournament update, Newzoo reports more than one million additional Clash Royale downloads and more than $1.5 million additional revenues when compared to the two weeks before the tournament week. Total hours spent watching the game on Twitch more than doubled during the event to 614,200. At its peak, downloads were up more than 50 percent compared to the baseline.
Tencent is known for creating an eSports scene around its games and using it to maintain a high position on the Chinese top grossing mobile charts. In fact, 24 out of the top 100 grossing games on all Android stores in China are mobile eSports titles, with Tencent owning at least half of them. With this in mind, Tencent is likely to invest more in eSports tournaments for Clash Royale to cement its place as the leader in mobile game revenue.
Influencers Drive Viewership And Revenue
Tournament week was a mutually-beneficial time for influencers, as well, and Newzoo observed an enormous impact on Twitch viewership. Compared to the week before, total hours spent watching Clash Royale increased by 117 percent. The top five streamers of the week were popular Clash Royale content creators who cater to the community with regular video game content. They, too benefited from the activation, enjoying a major increase in hours watched by fans. The top three, Phonecats, Trymacs and MonsterDFace increased their hours watched by 73.6 percent, 118.4 percent, and 257.8 percent, respectively. The top 5 streamers accounted for almost 45 percent of all hours watched throughout the week.
The Clash Royale tournament week was a success and perfect example of how a publisher can work closely with influencers who are already fostering communities for the franchise. ESports adds an interactive experience for those participating and drives revenues by inspiring viewers to try the games for themselves.