The new esports season of LEC kicked off on January 13th, marking the debut of the French team Karmine Corp in the league. League of Legends fans have already shown their enthusiasm during the broadcasts, as LEC Winter 2024 demonstrated a much stronger start than the previous year. Notably, streaming statistics in French and Spanish saw a significant increase, largely thanks to the community casting efforts of kamet0 and ibai.
HARD SEASON START FOR KARMINE CORP
The commencement of LEC Winter 2024 was intense, particularly for the French teams. Karmine Corp and Team Vitality began the season with three defeats each, while SK Gaming led the overall standings with a 3-0 record. Karmine’s debut was especially challenging, facing Fnatic, G2 Esports, and MAD Lions KOI in the initial three rounds.
The first week of LEC Winter 2024 concluded with 741.4K Peak Viewers, a 33.5% increase compared to the best result of the entire LEC Winter 2023 season. It also set a new record for LEC regular stages, with only playoff matches attracting more viewers.
The most substantial growth was seen in French broadcasts, surging from 90.6K to 255K Peak Viewers. Undoubtedly, Karmine Corp’s entry into the league and the community casting efforts of its owner, Kamet0, a popular French streamer, played a crucial role. During the first week, Kamet0 attracted 185.2K Peak Viewers.
As for Spanish-language broadcasts, they increased from 139K to 242.8K Peak Viewers. This growth was mainly attributed to streams by ibai (225.8K PV during week 1), who covered the league despite his team KOI no longer competing in LEC. The channels of kamet0 and ibai emerged as leaders of co-casting in terms of peak viewership during the first week, underscoring the significant impact of community casting on the league’s overall statistics.
NEW FORMAT AND PARTICIPANTS IN LEC
Riot Games introduced a new format for LEC Winter 2024. Previously, participants navigated through three stages — the round-robin stage, the group stage, and the playoffs. This year, organizers decided to eliminate the group stage in favor of more playoff matches, featuring eight teams in a double-elimination bracket. The new format aims to be more comprehensible and engaging for viewers, involving more elimination matches.
There were changes in the lineup as well. KOI is no longer part of LEC, returning the slot to Rogue, while Astralis exited the league, selling its slot to Karmine Corp. A slight rebranding also occurred with Excel Esports, announcing a merger with Giants and now competing under the tag GIANTX.
The arrival of Karmine Corp in LEC significantly boosted league viewership, as the French team boasts a massive following of dedicated fans. Karmine Corp’s popularity extends across various disciplines, including broadcasts for LFL and EMEA Masters in League of Legends, establishing itself as one of the most popular esports clubs in Europe.
In other aspects, the LEC remained unchanged. In the winter season, participants will compete for one slot at the Mid-Season Invitational 2024 and a ticket to the LEC Finals. The prize pool also remains the same. The LEC Winter 2024 matches will conclude on February 18, with the finals taking place at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin. You can follow the tournament’s progress on the live coverage page.
