It’s fair to say that many factors play a role. Worlds has shown steady growth since 2021.
Over the last 4 tournaments, we have seen record-breaking peak viewership numbers regardless of who plays in the final.
Much of the reason is thanks to the organizing team who consistently combines the concept of each tournament into an extraordinary spectacle.
On the other hand, we cannot ignore the T1 factor. As one of the most prominent teams, T1 significantly boosted Worlds’ audience reach.
In 2023, T1 played in the Worlds grand final on their home ground in Seoul, creating a huge celebration for local fans. In 2024, T1 made it to the grand final again, this time in London. The tournament set another record, although we believe the viewership statistics for Worlds 2024 could be higher.
This is all thanks to South Korea’s deeply rooted esports culture, which developed much earlier than in other countries.
Take for example the StarCraft: Brood War league. This league, which is broadcast on TV, is where esports players first attain superstar status.
T1’s current popularity is a legacy of the legendary SKT T1, and players like Slayers_Boxer, iloveoov, and Bisu.
These players helped elevate T1 to a top esports team, which now attracts the attention of millions of viewers.
Based on all the previously mentioned factors, that seems unlikely. T1 reaching the final round was one of the key factors behind the new viewership record.
If any other team makes it to the final, it will be difficult to top last year’s record attendance, given the badaktogel time zone difference between London and Seoul. Riot Games is investing heavily in marketing Worlds. Which tournament can feature official soundtracks from Imagine Dragons and Linkin Park?
The virtual band K/DA also has many global fans, as does the Netflix series Arcane, whose second season will be released soon.
Every Worlds tournament is a huge spectacle, and many other esports tournament organizers could learn a lot from Riot’s approach.