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The 2019 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) was League of Legends’ third most popular tournament by peak viewership, according to Esports Charts. With a whopping 1.7 million peak viewers, the event falls behind only the 2017 and 2018 World Championships. The semifinal round received the most views, perhaps because four of the most prominent regions were represented.

League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational MSI 2019 was game's third most watched tournament
Credit: Esports Charts

The semifinal stage

Interestingly enough, both semifinal matches had a larger viewership than the finals match. The match between the LCK’s SK Telecom T1 and the LEC’s G2 Esports was the most watched of the tournament, with 1,704,326 peak viewers. The number of viewers was likely larger, however, as Esports Charts does not include viewers from China due to unreliable statistics from the country. G2 and SKT set another record within the tournament as well. Their match on day 3 of the group stage was the most viewed match before the playoffs, with just over a million peak viewers.

The semifinal match between the LCS’s Team Liquid and the LPL’s Invictus Gaming was the second most watched series, gathering 1,356,455 peak viewers. The thrilling, five-game series was great to watch but seemed to hold less weight than the match between SKT and G2. Even though Team Liquid managed to win the series, they were no match for G2 in the grand final match of the tournament. 

League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational MSI 2019 was game's third most watched tournament
Source: Esports Charts

The Mid-Season Invitational grand finals

The grand final match between Team Liquid and G2 Esports had a peak of 1,068,721 viewers, making it the third most-watched match of the tournament. In fact, the grand finals beat out G2’s match against SKT in the group stage by only 20,000 viewers. While this matchup was a dream come true for Western fans, the matchup likely suffered from lack of interest from viewers in Eastern regions.

This year’s success of the League of Legends 2019 MSI suggests that the 2019 World Championship might easily become the most watched tournament of the game’s history. If the skill gap between the Eastern and Western regions is truly shrinking, a new world champion in 2019 could be coming. Fans of the LCS can look forward to revenge on the world stage in 2019. Fans of the LEC, on the other hand, can look forward to the chance at another international tournament victory, and etching their names into the League of Legends record books.

What did you think of the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational? Did it live up to expectations? Do you think this tournament finally confirms that the LEC is better than the LCS? Let us know your thoughts! Be sure to keep an eye on Daily Esports for all upcoming League of Legends news!