As the video game industry tried to find its footing after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Entertainment Software Association elected to hold an all-digital E3 in 2021, which let developers and publishers hold online showcases under the show’s banner. Based on public filings of financial records, that choice ended up losing more money than it earned.
Tax documents filed by the ESA in 2021–which are available for public consumption due to its nonprofit status–found by IGN show the organization spent a total of about $7.3 million on “conferences, conventions, and meetings” throughout the year. It was the second-highest expense the ESA reported for 2021, with wages–including $1.5 million to ESA president Stanley Pierre-Louis–being number one.
The form also lists names of contractors paid by the ESA for E3-related duties, which are as follows: