After one of the most exciting series of the year, Fnatic’s five-game victory over G2 Esports became the highest-viewed Western League of Legends event of 2020 so far. The series hit a peak viewership of just over 898,000 people this past weekend, according to Esports Charts.
G2 vs. Fnatic is usually one of the most anticipated matchups of the LEC playoffs. Even though this wasn’t the Summer Split finals, this series had numbers that rivaled some of the league’s biggest events of the past.
During the 2020 LEC Spring Split finals, for example, G2’s dominant victory over Fnatic garnered a peak viewership of 817,000 people. A year before, the 2019 LEC Summer Split finals also had a peak viewership of 841,000. As far as non-finals numbers go, the latest chapter in the perpetual rivalry was a historic one.
This was also historic for Fnatic, since they were finally able to beat G2 for the first time since 2018. Each matchup had been dominated by the latter squad, which made some League fans wonder if there was a rivalry between the two in the first place.
G2 now have to battle their way through the losers bracket by facing off against Rogue. The fiery young team beat MAD Lions in a 3-0 sweep this past weekend, giving them another chance at a Summer Split finals berth.
But if G2 can make the run back to the LEC Summer Split finals, we could see another record-breaking series in terms of viewership. This matchup never seems to disappoint League fans and we could be getting a second dose in a week.
Recently there was some debate about changing formats in LEC. Across the Summer Split, the LEC’s average minute audience—which calculates how many fans are watching at the same time—has grown 81 percent compared to the 2019 Summer Split, according to Riot. The league’s growth doesn’t stop there, however.
Last month, the LEC released a music video for Diplo’s “On My Mind” that featured some of the broadcast’s most popular on-air personalities. That video has already hit over one million views on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, according to Riot. The 2020 Summer Split promo video also has over one million views across those platforms.
This year, Europe has become one of the more exciting regions to watch for League. Fiery, young rosters like Rogue and MAD Lions have risen up to challenge the old guard of the LEC. And as a result, League fans have seen some of the best games in this region.
