It’s no secret: eSports are becoming and bigger and bigger deal, but how exactly do you grasp the growth of this competitive outlet as an entertainment medium? A look at one of the grandest current stages of esports may offer insight. League of Legends 2015 Finals hosted some jaw-dropping viewership numbers.
The full break-down of viewership statistics was covered in a post on the official League of Legends esports site. Among many of the numbers presented in the post, one of the most notable was the report that the Final competition of the League of Legends European world championship tour had live viewership of over approximately 36 million across all platforms. Across the entire tour, viewers tuned into over 360 million hours of live coverage.
It’s truly illuminating to see the growth of the market for esports across just one of the currently popular outlets. That 360 million hour record stands at nearly double the 194 million hours of live viewership reported in 2014’s League of Legends championship tour. Teams are growing, prize pots are rising, and the esports scene is becoming a better place to be for both players and fans.
League of Legends is already set to take on a huge revamp across 2016, ensuring that the platform of competition will only continue to evolve and progress in the new year’s competitive and recreational scenes.