After 2 weeks, LCS Monday Night League is a viewership flop

Olivia Richman Published 05/02/2020

The League of Legends Championship Series’ Monday Night League concept appears to be a flop. 

The LCS introduced a new schedule for the 2020 LCS Spring Split, with each week of the LCS now taking place across Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Adding that extra day was meant to attract new audiences, but it seems to be having the opposite effect.

Despite featuring some pretty big matches, including Team Liquid vs. Team SoloMid in week one and FlyQuest vs. Dignitas in week two, Monday Night League only saw a viewership peak of 73,000. 

According to Twitch Tracker, the average viewer count was 45,570 over the 2.8 hour stream for the most recent installment. Last week’s Monday Night League premiere had a little over 106,000. 

LCS Monday Night League has a disappointing viewer count

While the low viewership is obviously upsetting, nobody can say it’s a surprise. When it comes to North American viewers, watching a game that late on a weekday can be an inconvenience. Even if it’s an exceptionally good matchup, some people don’t have the motivation to watch League of Legends after work, or have other obligations in their life. 

LCS commissioner Chris Greeley told the Washington Post that Monday Night League was made especially with these NA viewers in mind. 

“The overwhelming feeling was, let’s carve out a space where nobody else is. We can start to create some habits right alongside our fans. Get home from work, get home from school and have something to tune into on Monday nights instead of the void we have now,” he said. 

Unfortunately, it seems like watching League of Legends isn’t on people’s minds late Monday night. 

When it comes to other regions, the evening slot is not an easy commitment. Fans in Europe would have to stay up to 2:30 a.m. to see the beginning of the first match. For Korean fans, that would be 10:30 a.m. the following day, when most people are at work or school. In other words, Monday Night League loses a lot of international viewers. 

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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