The Korean and European League of Legends divisions have achieved the highest number of viewership for the Spring Split 2021, excluding co-stream figures, according to Esports Charts.
The League of Legends Champions Korea, known for the likes of legendary mid laners Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and Heo “ShowMaker” Su, brought in a peak viewership of 836,062 during the spring split, which concluded on April 10. With an average viewership of 232,239, the figures are slightly below last year’s statistics.
Excluding co-stream figures, however, the LCK is still the most watched league. According to Gen.G’s Chief Operating Officer Arnold Hur, the league hasn’t even fully tapped into its potential in terms of capitalizing on viewers.
“It’s a great sign to see the LCK really set itself apart in its first franchised season as the premier league for League of Legends,” Hur told Upcomer. “As well, the innovations that the league has pushed forward, such as co-streaming, have been a critical piece in this growth that hasn’t fully been accounted for yet but has really delivered in creating a brand new avenue for both hardcore and casual fans to engage with their favorite personality.”
In Korea, Hur cited the presence of the best players and teams in League of Legends present in the region. Former World Champions T1 and DWG KIA had the most popular match during the LCK spring split during day three of week one.
The LCK is also making advancements in its storytelling, Hur added.
“Finally, we’re beginning to see the value of franchising where more teams are now actively investing and creating content around the team and its players,” he said. “We think if we can unlock more of the storylines that have been missing in the LCK through both the team and league’s efforts to create more content, it can really unlock even more global interest in the league.”
The League of Legends European Championship, on the other hand, boasted 831,198 in peak viewership, making it the second most watched league. The two other main regions, the League Championship Series and League of Legends Pro League, fell slightly behind the LCK and LEC in terms of viewership.
The North American league had a peak viewership of 415,731. But over the past few splits, co-streams have risen in popularity. Popular figures in the North American scene, including Cloud9 streamer Christian “IWillDominate” Rivera and Nick “LS” De Cesare, have created increased viewership during the LCS spring split.
The summer split begins later this year following the conclusion of the Mid-Season Invitational in Reykjavík, Iceland, from May 6 to May 22.
