The Call of Duty League (CDL) 2024: Stage 3 Major wrapped up after five days of intense action on May 20 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Canada. Despite a shaky performance in its qualifiers, the main event witnessed a triumphant return to form, drawing peak concurrent viewership numbers comparable to the first two Majors of the year.
Triumph and Tension: The Tournament Overview
This year’s Stage 3 Major boasted a hefty $375,000 prize pool, with the victorious team claiming $150,000. In the Grand Final, OpTic Texas dominated Toronto Ultra with a decisive 4-0 victory, securing their first Major event win since the CDL 2022 Stage 1 Major. This win also earned them 100 CDL Points, crucial for direct qualification to the CDL 2024 Playoffs. Toronto Ultra, the runners-up, took home $90,000 and 75 CDL Points, solidifying their position near the top of the leaderboard.
Viewership Highlights: Engagement and Excitement
The CDL 2024: Stage 3 Major reached a peak of 238.4K viewers during the Elimination Final between OpTic Texas and Atlanta FaZe. This match, featuring the most followed team against one of the most consistent teams in the league, captivated fans, particularly with the high stakes involved. The Grand Final was the second-most popular match, driven by the narrative of OpTic Texas seeking revenge after a prior defeat to Toronto Ultra.
The tournament amassed 3.5 million hours watched and maintained an average viewership of 116.4K over 30 hours of airtime, underscoring the event’s widespread appeal and the competitive allure of these top-tier teams.
Fan Favorites and Rising Stars
Interestingly, OpTic Texas was not the most popular team by average viewership at this Major. Instead, Toronto Ultra, buoyed by their home support, topped the viewership charts, a testament to the local fanbase’s fervent backing. Despite ending a two-year Major title drought, OpTic Texas didn’t even rank in the top two for average viewership, highlighting the unique dynamics of fan engagement in this event.
The tournament also saw a modest but noteworthy rise in non-English-speaking viewership, with French and Portuguese audiences tuning in, partly thanks to the efforts of emerging creator plzcallmedub on the streaming platform Kick.
Historical Context and Future Prospects
Comparing the three Majors held this year, the viewership numbers have been remarkably consistent. Although the third Major recorded the lowest peak concurrent viewership of the three, it still outperformed two of last season’s Majors, which benefited from co-casting on Twitch.
In terms of watch time, the three Majors of 2024 are closely matched, with the third Major trailing slightly due to its shorter airtime. Impressively, all three Majors from this year rank among the top six in CDL history for peak viewership. The first two Majors also feature in the top three for watch time, with only the record-setting CDL 2023 Stage 3 Major surpassing them.
Optimism for the Future
With the continued popularity and high viewership, driven by notable personalities like Scump and ZooMaa, the CDL is on a promising trajectory. The regular season in 2023 saw a 200% increase in watch time compared to 2022. The CDL 2023 Playoffs became the most-watched post-season event in the league’s history. Fans have ample reason to believe that 2024 could be another stellar year for Call of Duty esports.