Gaming is now one of the UK’s largest and fastest-growing entertainment sectors, and increasingly, one of the most valuable audiences for brands to reach through out-of-home advertising.
With gaming now deeply embedded into mainstream culture, the overlap between gaming audiences, social behaviour, and pub environments is becoming impossible to ignore. For advertisers, this creates a major opportunity: reaching highly engaged gaming consumers in real-world environments where attention, conversation, and action naturally happen.
Gaming has become mainstream entertainment
The UK gaming market -the largest in Europe - generated over ~£10 billion in revenue in 2024, with forecasts projecting growth to ~£15 billion by 2030. Gaming audiences also continue to expand rapidly:
- The UK is home to 10.84 million gamers
- Expected to rise to 11.56 million by 2027
- The market is forecast to grow at a 7.1% CAGR
What was once considered a niche for a younger audience has evolved into a mainstream cultural behaviour spanning age groups, genders and lifestyles.
Mobile phones are now the UK’s most popular gaming device, with 34% of gamers identifying mobile as their main gaming platform, reinforcing how embedded gaming has become within daily consumer behaviour. At the same time, gaming is increasingly associated with emotional wellbeing and escapism:
- Around 6 in 10 UK gamers say gaming helps them feel happier
- 65% view gaming as a healthy outlet for everyday challenges
This evolution positions gaming less as a niche hobby and more as a mainstream entertainment and lifestyle behaviour that naturally intersects with social, leisure and out-of-home environments.
Gaming audiences are highly social
One of the biggest misconceptions around gaming audiences is that they are isolated or purely digital consumers. The data tells a very different story.
People who are heavy gamers:
- 46% more likely to really enjoy a night out at the pub
- 66% more likely to have seen an ad in a pub in the past week
Meanwhile, people who frequently talk about gaming are:
- 62% more likely to enjoy pub nights
- 70% more likely to watch sports in pubs
Gaming audiences are not just digitally connected - they are socially connected. They are active participants in entertainment culture, whether that is watching football, socialising with friends, or discussing the latest releases, esports moments, or online trends.
This is exactly where OOH advertising in leisure and hospitality environments becomes so powerful.
Why OOH works so well for gaming audiences
The behavioural response from gaming audiences to OOH is exceptionally strong.
People with high gaming engagement are:
- 60% more likely to research a product after seeing OOH advertising
- 73% more likely to purchase after seeing OOH
- 67% more likely to download an app after seeing OOH
- 55% more likely to share content on social media after seeing OOH
Among audiences who actively discuss gaming with others, the impact becomes even stronger:
- 116% more likely to research a product after OOH exposure
- 111% more likely to download an app after seeing an OOH ad
- 133% more likely to share branded content socially post seeing an OOH ad
This is what makes gaming audiences especially valuable for OOH campaigns: they do not just see advertising, they actively amplify it through conversation, social sharing, and real-world recommendation.
Further reinforcing this, gaming consumers are highly responsive to visual environments and live cultural moments. Research from YouGov found that e-sports fans are twice as likely to notice OOH advertising compared to average audiences.
For brands, this creates a rare combination: a large-scale audience that is not only highly attentive to advertising, but also significantly more likely to take action after exposure.
Key takeaway
Gaming culture has expanded far beyond consoles and bedrooms. It now lives in pubs, sports culture, nightlife, streaming ecosystems, and everyday social interaction.
For advertisers, that creates a significant opportunity.
And pubs or workplaces - where entertainment, attention, and conversation naturally collide - may be one of the most effective environments to reach them.
Alight’s Dwell network spans over 3,000 leisure and hospitality venues across 1,200 UK locations, connecting with audiences in social environments, whether they’re with friends, family, or colleagues.
Get in touch to learn more about advertising in these social settings.
Other sources:
TGI Consumer Insights