On May 16, one day prior to World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on May 17, Sichuan Province launched the "E-Enjoying Life" Sichuan Esports Consumption Month—an event of unprecedented scale in the region's digital sports industry. This official event is spearheaded by the Department of Commerce and co-hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism, the Administration of Sport of Sichuan, the Provincial Press and Publication Administration, and China Telecom Sichuan. As a highly public-friendly and engaging initiative, it will launch open esports competitions, city-level League of Legends tournaments, and a series of anime events through a province-wide and omnichannel synergy, as well as feature both online and offline promotional campaigns for esports equipment and related products, thus paving the way for a new consumption model that integrates esports, cultural tourism and technology.

As the birthplace of global esports hits like Honor of Kings and CrossFire, how will Sichuan capitalize on its gaming pedigree to unlock new consumption growth drivers in the esports sector?

Forming a Full-Chain Consumption Empowerment Pattern

This event, marking Sichuan's inaugural province-wide esports-themed consumption month, employs the "1+4+N" comprehensive regional coordination model. Anchored in the Chengdu main venue, it spans various unique sub-venues, including the Jincheng Wanda Public Esports Competition in the China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (CDHT Area), the Neijiang League of Legends Tournament, series events at the Tianfu International ACG City, and the Suining DSD Animation Carnival, encompassing over 11,000 offline stores throughout the province. Through diverse scenarios, including the main venue's launch ceremony, esports competitions at sub-venues, and interactive experiences with AI-powered gaming peripherals, this initiative seeks to guide consumers to rationally understand the value of the esports industry and to boost consumption enthusiasm among the youth demographic.
As part of the initiative, a dedicated "Sichuan Esports Consumption Month" online section will be launched in collaboration with JD.com, designed to facilitate online sales promotions with national subsidies for related products. Simultaneously, a month-long joint promotional campaign will be organized offline, involving various brands, from mobile phones to esports equipment.

For enthusiasts of esports gaming, this presents a perfect opportunity to upgrade their gaming gear. Throughout the consumption month, Sichuan Telecom will roll out an esports network upgrade program targeting families, esports hotels and internet cafes. The company will introduce time-limited discounts on network equipment and offer a substantial 200-million-yuan reduction in prices for esports smartphones. Additionally, to address the cross-border network needs of esports enterprises, Sichuan Telecom will launch an exclusive package featuring at least a 75 percent discount, complemented by a free 7-day trial service.

In addition, leading enterprises such as JD.com, Samsung and Mr. D Miss J Buff Hotel have collectively unveiled their consumer promotion policies. Specifically, Samsung is offering substantial price reductions across its full range of esports monitors while encouraging customers to leverage the consumer goods trade-in program. On JD.com, a specialized "triple discount" section has been launched, integrating national subsidies with enhanced promotions for Grade 1 energy-efficient models.

The Sichuan Esports Consumption Month, created through corporate resource integration and policy innovation, is poised to establish a full-chain consumption empowerment pattern that combines hardware, scenarios and content.

Driving Consumption Through Competitions, Revitalizing Cities via Consumer Engagement

Why is Sichuan placing a focus on the esports sector to boost consumption? According to Wu Ge, a member of the Party Leading Group of the Department of Commerce and full-time Deputy Director of the Sichuan Pilot Free Trade Zone Work Office, esports—as a globally popular form of consumption and entertainment—has emerged as one of the most dynamic digital creative sectors worldwide, powered by its extensive user base, strong integration with new technologies, significant socio-cultural value, and immense development potential. Wu added that esports demonstrates unique value in promoting the integrated development of digital and real economies, supporting urban industrial upgrading, stimulating cultural innovation, and boosting tourism-related consumption.

"Sichuan plays a pivotal role in China's esports industry landscape," he explained, further noting that the China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, as the primary hub for the province's digital creative sector, is instrumental in propelling Chengdu's cultural and creative industry to achieve over 280 billion yuan in added value by 2024.

The esports industry is a vital segment of the digital creativity industry. Sichuan organized 26 large-scale esports tournaments last year, including five international events, attracting nearly 10,000 participants globally and generating over 200 million omnichannel views. This achievement ranks Sichuan second nationwide in the number of offline esports events hosted.

The Sichuan Esports Consumption Status and Trend Analysis Report further highlights the province's dynamic presence in the esports sector. As of 2024, Sichuan is home to 11,054 esports-related enterprises, spanning game development, tournament operations, and more. Notably, 4,816 of these firms are dedicated to game development, demonstrating Sichuan's substantial research and development capabilities in the sector. As of late 2024, the province has cultivated an active esports user base of 40.57 million, fueling a consumer market approaching 10 billion yuan in scale.

"Innovative scenarios, such as event launches, competitions, and omnichannel online and offline promotions of related products, will further stimulate new consumption growth drivers and unleash consumer potential," stated Liu Yehang, President of the Sichuan E-Sports Association. He believes that the dual strategy of promoting consumption through competitions and rejuvenating cities through consumer engagement is a novel pathway for Sichuan's esports industry development.

According to a relevant leading official from the Department of Commerce, the Consumption Month event will run from May 16 to June 15. During this period, the department will encourage promoting healthy esports actively as a mode for implementing the consumer goods trade-in program, conduct a dynamic evaluation of the esports sector's impact on driving consumer spending, and explore the feasibility of extending the duration of promotional benefits. In the next step, efforts will be made to leverage esports consumption as a strategic entry point to delve into the deep integration path of "artificial intelligence + sci-fi IP + cultural tourism scenarios", in a bid to support Sichuan in establishing itself as a global significant hub for the digital creative industry.