The League of Legends World Championship, known as Worlds, has consistently broken viewership records each year since 2020. In 2023, the grand final between T1 and Weibo Gaming hit a new esports record with 6.4 million concurrent viewers.
FINAL MATCH VIEWERSHIP TRENDS
Although viewership typically peaks during finals, the increase varies widely between tournaments. Since 2016, Worlds has seen viewership climb by 25% to 165% from the last semifinals to the final. In 2023, peak viewership jumped 49% for the final, and an average increase of 70% has been typical over recent years. T1’s semifinal clash with Gen.G at Worlds 2024 drew 4.98 million peak viewers, suggesting the final could surpass previous records by around 1 million, though other variables influence viewership trends.
IMPACT OF FINALISTS ON VIEWERSHIP
The teams in the grand final are crucial for peak viewership. Both finalists, T1 and Bilibili Gaming, are among the most-watched teams in Worlds history. Excluding Chinese platforms, Bilibili still ranks as one of the tournament’s most popular teams.
Even without Chinese viewership, Worlds 2024 is poised for record-breaking popularity. However, only Korean fans have a home team in T1, leaving other major regions without local representation. Let’s examine how language-based viewership has performed so far.
VIEWERSHIP BY LANGUAGE AT WORLDS 2024
Korean viewership reached a peak 700,000 above last year’s, while English-language viewers grew by over 500,000. Both segments have room to expand for the final. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese and Brazilian audiences have already surpassed 2023’s peaks, with Vietnam potentially reaching 1 million peak viewers in the final. Brazil’s audience has grown through both CBLOL and co-caster Baiano. Spanish viewership, however, has been dominated by ibai, whose stream accounts for two-thirds of Spanish watch time at Worlds 2024.
ROLE OF CO-CASTING
Since co-casting was introduced at Worlds, it has absorbed a significant portion of viewership. In 2023, co-casters made up 20% of peak viewership, which has now risen to over 40% in 2024. This increased reliance could impact viewership if co-casters don’t cover the final.
IMPACT OF TIMEZONES
The Worlds 2022 tournament saw lower viewership due to inconvenient scheduling for Asian fans, with matches often starting very late. By contrast, Worlds 2024 is held in Europe, offering better time alignment for global audiences. The final between T1 and Bilibili Gaming is set for 3 pm CET, favorable for both European and Asian fans, with Brazilian viewers also able to watch comfortably in the afternoon.
TIKTOK’S EMERGING ROLE IN ESPORTS STREAMING
TikTok has recently expanded its presence in esports broadcasting. During Worlds 2024, TikTok reached a new record of 135,000 concurrent viewers for PC esports, up from 77,000 at MSI 2024. This growth points to the potential for TikTok to bring a fresh, albeit smaller, audience to League of Legends esports.
In summary, the factors discussed suggest that Worlds 2024 is on track to break viewership records, with several major language segments poised to grow their audiences during the final.