League of Americas’ Inaugural Split Faces Viewership Challenges
The newly established League of Legends Championship of the Americas (LTA) has completed its first regional splits in both North and South America, revealing concerning viewership trends. Both regions are struggling to match the audience engagement of their predecessor leagues.
The South American division failed to generate enough viewership to rank among the top 10 most-watched CBLOL events in history. Even more troubling, LTA North set a new negative record with the lowest peak viewership ever recorded for professional League of Legends in the region, falling below 150,000 concurrent viewers – a significant decline from the previous low of 220,000.
Contrary to traditional esports tournament patterns, where viewership typically builds toward playoff matches, both regions experienced declining engagement as the splits progressed. Final matches drew approximately 8-9% fewer peak viewers compared to opening day numbers.
Several factors may contribute to these underwhelming metrics. The new league format represents a significant departure from the familiar LCS and CBLOL structures, featuring fewer teams and compressed schedules. Additionally, the stakes of individual matches have changed – with teams in finals already securing Cross-Conference berths, the matches primarily impacted seeding rather than qualification.
The situation appears particularly concerning for LTA North, where audience retention issues continue to mount. The league’s main Twitch channel experienced a notable decline in followers during the split, losing over 6,600 subscribers while gaining only about 300 new followers.
Looking ahead, the Cross-Conference stage begins February 15th, featuring eight qualified teams competing for a $40,000 prize pool. The winner will secure a spot at First Stand, the inaugural international event of the new system scheduled for March.
While it’s still early to draw definitive conclusions about the league’s long-term prospects, these initial viewership numbers present clear challenges that organizers will need to address as the new competitive structure continues to evolve.
