IEM Cologne, affectionately referred to by fans as the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike,” has returned for another exciting summer. This prestigious event has become a staple in the Counter-Strike community, consistently ranking among the year’s most anticipated tournaments. Esports Charts has gathered data on the viewership for the first four days, covering the entire Play-In stage and the opening day of the Group Stage.
IEM Cologne 2024 has experienced a slight dip in viewership compared to last year, which featured an exceptionally well-received Play-In stage. So far, the event has accumulated 7.09 million hours watched, with an average of 173.2K concurrent viewers over the first four days. The decline in viewership is primarily attributed to a decrease in Portuguese-language audiences, which had previously been a significant driver of the event’s popularity.
Comparing the first four days of IEM Cologne 2024 and 2023:
While FURIA remained involved in the event’s most-watched match, the Portuguese-speaking, including Brazilian, audience turnout has not been as strong. Despite this, Brazilian community caster Gaules has been actively co-casting the event, with his Twitch and YouTube Live streams among the most popular broadcasts.
This year, Brazilian fans have not shown the same level of enthusiasm for Counter-Strike at the Cologne event. Even though the Play-In stage included several Brazilian teams, with many advancing to the Group Stage, viewership from this key demographic has declined. Nevertheless, Brazilian and Portuguese esports organizations were well-represented in the most popular matches of the opening day.
Top matches from the first four days of IEM Cologne 2024:
The most-watched match was FURIA’s clash with Team Liquid on day two, which attracted 256.6K peak viewers. Team Liquid has been performing well recently, giving North American fans a team to rally behind. This matchup successfully combined Portuguese-speaking and North American audiences, a proven successful formula for Counter-Strike.
The Portuguese team SAW also drew 255.3K peak viewers during their match against G2 Esports. This match, the most popular of the Group Stage’s opening day, saw SAW unexpectedly defeat G2 Esports 2-0, a team often regarded as one of the world’s best. The underdog victory for SAW was a highlight of the event, with excitement building as the match progressed.
FURIA’s game against HEROIC rounded out the top matches, recording 251.7K peak viewers. Despite the decline, Portuguese-language viewership remains one of the event’s strongest.
As the event continues, viewership is expected to increase, especially as teams that qualified directly get their chance to shine. Russian and Ukrainian broadcasts have also been attracting significant viewership, so keep an eye on matches featuring NAVI for further audience spikes.
