Professional League, the League of Legends World Championship has become the second event series to surpass 1 billion hours of watch time in the Esports Charts database, which has been tracked since 2016. Worlds consistently ranks as one of the most viewed esports events annually, solidifying its place in the livestreaming landscape.
While the World Championship fell short of the MPL in total hours, the LCK closely follows both. The LCK and MPL host multiple events each year, whereas Worlds is an annual series. In fact, the MPL has held roughly eight times more events than the World Championship, with Worlds accounting for only 12% of the MPL’s total broadcast hours.
Notably, Worlds is the first PC or console esports series to reach the 1 billion hours watched milestone. Besides Worlds, several regional leagues and the Mid-Season Invitational also rank highly in viewership.
Since its inception in 2011, the Worlds series has evolved significantly, attracting diverse audiences from around the globe. Last year, Korean viewership peaked higher than the total peak viewership from the 2016 event.
Over the years, League of Legends has seen substantial growth in its audience. Vietnamese fans have emerged as a major demographic, having previously trailed behind Korean and English-speaking viewers. While the gap remains, Vietnamese audiences now represent one of the largest segments of League of Legends viewership.
Spanish and Portuguese viewership also remains robust, with Brazilian fans being one of the fastest-growing demographics in the esports scene. Interest in Worlds spiked when Brazilian teams participated.
Additionally, new audiences, particularly from Japan, have begun to engage more with League of Legends. Viewership from Japan has surged, reaching over 150,000 concurrent viewers last year, compared to just a few thousand in previous years.
Ultimately, the success of Worlds hinges on League of Legends’ overall popularity and its ability to resonate with global audiences. Fans from Asia, South America, and Europe enthusiastically tune in for this major gaming event. As the game continues to grow in Brazil, Vietnam, and other regions, Worlds is likely to break new records in the esports industry.
