The viewership numbers for League of Legends esports are in, and they reveal a concerning trend, particularly in North America. According to Esports Charts, both the recent summer split and the overall year have seen a decline in viewership. The LEC experienced a seven percent drop in average viewership and over 80,000 fewer concurrent viewers compared to last year’s summer split final.
The LCK also saw a slight decrease in average viewership during the summer split, approximately five percent. However, the Gen.G versus T1 rematch in the split final attracted over 200,000 more viewers, indicating the impact of star players on viewership.
In contrast, the LCS in North America experienced a shocking 30 percent drop in average viewership within just five months. The summer split recorded the lowest average viewership in over six years, raising concerns about the health of the scene.
There has been speculation within the community regarding the reasons behind this significant decline in LCS viewership. One factor is the shift to weekday matches in the early afternoon, as opposed to playing on weekends. Riot made this change to accommodate VALORANT’s VCT Americas season, which now takes place on weekends. As both League and VALORANT use the same arena, scheduling conflicts led to the LCS being moved to Thursdays and Fridays.
The impact of this decline in viewership will likely be felt during the upcoming World Championship in South Korea in October. Many fans have expressed a decreased interest in regional leagues and instead prefer to tune in for international events like MSI and Worlds, where the best teams compete for the ultimate title in League of Legends.
Source: DOTESPORTS
