E3 revenues tripled in 2009

From 2006 to 2009, the Entertainment Software Association overhauled its annual Electronic Entertainment Expo multiple times before settling on its current format. While publisher and public reaction to the changes has been clear for years, the trade group is only now providing a more detailed picture of how the moves impacted its own bottom line.

In 2007, when the ESA radically downsized E3 and moved it from the Los Angeles Convention Center to nearby Santa Monica, the group offset the drastically reduced trade show revenues by inflating membership dues. In 2008, the ESA returned the show to the LACC, but kept it relatively small scale, so much so that E3 revenues actually decreased for the year, from $3.49 million to $3.24 million. However, membership fees did not offset that shortfall, as ESA dues brought in $15.22 million, down from a high of $17.41 million the year prior.

According to the ESA's latest Form 990 filing with the IRS (made earlier this year), the return to a large-scale LACC show in 2009 spiked revenues dramatically. For the year ended March 31, 2010, E3 revenues more than tripled to $11.76 million. Meanwhile, income from member dues continued to decrease, with the ESA reporting $12.26 million in revenue from member companies, down roughly 20 percent year-over-year.

The ESA reported a total of $31.19 million in revenue for the year, up 21 percent from the previous year's $25.78 million. Beyond E3 and member dues, the bulk of the organization's remaining income came from Entertainment Software Rating Board rating fees ($5.77 million).