Growing a gaming brand
Two in three Americans play video games every week, and they spent $60.8 billion on games in 2025. Reach them on YouTube and TikTok, and build a community on Discord.
How big is the gaming industry?
Americans spent $60.8 billion on video games in 2025, and 212.3 million of them play at least an hour a week.
| Measure | Figure | Year |
|---|---|---|
| US consumer spending on video games | $60.8 billion | 2025 |
| Spending on game content | $52.4 billion | 2025 |
| Spending on game hardware | $5.4 billion | 2025 |
| Americans who play an hour or more a week | 212.3 million | 2026 |
| Share of Americans ages 5 to 90 who play | 67% | 2026 |
The spending figures come from ESA, Circana and Sensor Tower, and the player figures from ESA's 2026 survey with YouGov.[1, 2]
Who are video game players?
Men and women play at nearly equal rates, the average player is 37, and 84% of kids play every week.
| Group | What the figures show |
|---|---|
| Men and women | 53% and 46% of players |
| Ages 50 and older | 29% of players |
| Kids ages 5 to 17 | 84% play an hour or more a week |
| Parents | 75% play video games |
Sources [1]
Which platforms should a gaming brand grow on?
YouTube reaches 84% of US adults and 95% of those 18 to 29, while TikTok reaches 65% of young adults.
Pew doesn't measure Kick or Discord. See growing on Kick for live streams and on Discord for a community server. Point all of them at your .com. Social casino games need Google Ads certification to advertise. The game must state it's only for people over the legal gambling age and must not target minors. For domain endings and trademark classes, see naming a gaming brand.[3, 4, secondary]
Checks the .com, YouTube, Kick, Discord invite, TikTok and X in one search.
Who are the top gaming creators?
Markiplier, Typical Gamer and Jacksepticeye are on Forbes' 2026 top creators list. TIME100 Creators 2025 includes Typical Gamer and Pokimane.
| Creator | Known for | Named by |
|---|---|---|
| Markiplier | Gaming streamer whose self-funded film, Iron Lung, earned $50 million at the box office | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #4 |
| Typical Gamer | Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft videos; his studio, Jogo, builds Fortnite maps | TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab); Forbes, #26 |
| Jacksepticeye | Irish YouTuber with weekly gaming videos and his own coffee brand | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #35 |
| Pokimane | Fortnite, League of Legends and Valorant streams; Twitch's most-followed female streamer in 2025 | TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
Which sites are the authorities on gaming?
The Entertainment Software Association, the ESRB, the IGDA and GamesIndustry.biz are the main authorities on the video game industry.
| Site | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment Software Association (opens in a new tab) | The voice and advocate for the US video game industry since 1994 | Player and spending figures |
| ESRB (opens in a new tab) | The non-profit, self-regulatory body for the video game industry | Age ratings and in-game purchase labels |
| International Game Developers Association (opens in a new tab) | The world's largest nonprofit membership organization for game makers | Developer community and resources |
| GamesIndustry.biz (opens in a new tab) | A news and information site for the global video games industry | Industry news, jobs and events |
Sources (10)
- PrimaryESA: 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry (opens in a new tab), with YouGov, survey of 13,545 people, 11 to; and ESA: Two-Thirds of Americans Play Video Games Every Week (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryESA: 2025 U.S. Consumer Spending on Video Games Nears Pandemic-Level Peak (opens in a new tab), data from ESA, Circana and Sensor Tower, final figures revised in March 2026
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab), survey of US adults
- PrimaryGoogle Ads: Gambling and games policy (opens in a new tab), social casino games
- SecondaryForbes: Top Creators 2026 (archived copy) (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryTIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab), profiles of Typical Gamer and Pokimane
- PrimaryESA: About (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryESRB: About (opens in a new tab) and ratings guide (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryIGDA: About us (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryGamesIndustry.biz: About us (opens in a new tab)