A new blog post has broken down the disparity in pay between male and female esports players, finding that while 147 people worldwide have become millionaires through esports, all of them are men. In fact, no women appear among the top 400 players.
While sports events worldwide often separate players and leagues based on gender, with exceptions such as mixed doubles or ice skating, esports often allows players of any gender team together. Despite this, it appears that women are routinely paid significantly less than their male colleagues, and don’t achieve the same level of success in the field.
Finland is identified as the country with the greatest disparity between men and women, with the country’s 10 professional female esports players earning just $0.07 for every $100 that a man, a difference of 99.93 percent. Over a year, the average female player can earn $332, compared to $459,925 earned by men in the same field.
While other countries pay female esports players far better than others, no country comes close to pay equity. Chile is identified as the country with the smallest gap, with female players earning $8.59 for every $100 a man makes, representing a disparity of 91.41 percent.
The United States, which came in tenth place, has female players earn an average of $3.42 for every $100 earned by men. However, the lucrative esports scene in the country means that they can earn more than in any other country, with an average income of $24,509 compared to $716,128 for men.
Addressing the pay gap
It’s an unfortunate fact that pay disparity exists across the vast majority of industries worldwide, regardless of the target audience or relative profile of the stars. In 2022, for example, only two women were ranked among the top 50 highest-earning athletes.
Best Online Casinos cites a number of possible reasons for the disparity, including a toxic environment towards women. Female gamers often face harassment, abuse, and sexism within the industry, which may not only make them feel unwelcome but drive aspiring esports players away. As a result, not only are fewer female gamers reaching the same heights as their male colleagues and as such losing out on prize money, but fewer are receiving high-level sponsorship deals.
Another factor may be the more consistent earning potential from streaming, as opposed to taking part in tournaments or competitions.
A deleted Facebook post last week indicates that Tencent may be bringing a new PUBG Mobile Super League to South East Asia.
(Image by Ella Don on Unsplash)
