Riot Games has been revitalizing viewership in many of its regional circuits by embracing community casters. These co-casters have helped attract new audiences globally, though their popularity varies by region. Esports Charts has gathered data to analyze the impact of regional co-casting in League of Legends as we approach Worlds 2024.
Community casting was first introduced at Worlds 2022, where it significantly boosted viewership. Since then, Riot Games has gradually incorporated these casters into regional events, with some becoming the most-watched broadcasters in their respective regions.
At this year’s Mid-Season Invitational, community casters accounted for nearly half of the tournament’s total viewership in 2024, a sharp contrast to previous years when official Riot broadcasts dominated. Understanding how these casters operate regionally could provide insights into how they may impact viewership at the upcoming world championship.
Regional Viewership Distribution of Co-Casting in League of Legends
Despite being the most popular League of Legends circuit, Korea’s LCK is one of the least affected by community casting. Phonics1 of AfreecaTV is the most notable caster, contributing only 8.2% of the LCK’s viewership. Phonics1, also known as Kim Min-kyo, gained recognition as a top AfreecaTV streamer and one of Korea’s most prominent League of Legends personalities. Although the LCK has a smaller share of co-casting viewership, it still leads in overall watch time, more than doubling that of the next-most-watched region. Co-casting’s share in the LCK grew by 13.7% this year.
In Europe, the LEC saw nearly 25% of its watch time in 2024 come from Spanish creator ibai, a former caster and owner of the LEC team MAD Lions KOI. With the team’s qualification for Worlds 2024, ibai’s viewership for the Play-In stage is expected to increase.
The Brazilian CBLoL experienced the most dramatic shift this year, as community casting was introduced for the first time, solidifying its spot as the third-most-watched region. Brazilian caster Baiano was pivotal, accounting for over half of CBLoL’s viewership, and was also a top contributor to the LCS NA’s viewership.
Baiano
Baiano, a former professional player, transitioned to content creation after retiring in 2019 and quickly became one of Brazil’s most prominent League of Legends personalities. He also founded the esports organization Ilha das Lendas, which competes in the CBLoL Academy.
British streamer Caedrel is another major figure in community casting, covering not only LEC but also LCS, LPL, and more. A former player, Caedrel joined Riot’s official broadcasts before focusing on co-casting via his Twitch channel. In 2024, he was responsible for almost a fifth of the LPL’s viewership, although Chinese livestreaming data is unreliable.
In 2024, 25% of the total 368.5 million Hours Watched for League of Legends events came from just four co-casters. Riot’s embrace of community broadcasters has been instrumental in setting new viewership records in regions like CBLoL. Baiano leads as the most-watched community caster, contributing 9% of global viewership. Caedrel surpassed ibai in viewership, with his more consistent coverage across multiple regions.
As Worlds 2024 approaches, Riot Games will continue leveraging community casters to expand viewership. Last year’s Worlds 2023 hit a record 6.4 million concurrent viewers, and with the continued integration of co-casters, League of Legends could reach even higher numbers this year.
