LEC Spring Split Finals contributed millions to Rotterdam economy
Cities welcome sporting events like the Olympic Games and the Super Bowl because they generate a windfall of cash and esports events are starting to offer something similar.
According to a report from Riot Games, the city of Rotterdam enjoyed an influx of cash from the LEC Spring Split Finals. All in all, the tournament contributed $2.6 million total to the economy over two days.
The announcement is a big win for Riot’s “host city” program.
Developed in 2018, the program allows cities to apply two years in advance to host a Riot Games event. Rotterdam won its bid to host the Spring Split Finals, while the 2019 LEC Summer Split Finals are to be held in Athens at the Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall, which seats 19,000. Host cities for the 2020 splits have not been announced.
The number of people that flew into the Netherlands for the event is unknown but according to the report, 87% of attendees were not from Rotterdam. The event was held on April 13 and 14 and that dollar tally will likely woo other cities to open their doors to League of Legends fans.
Juggernaut G2 Esports won the event, courtesy of stellar play from long-time star Luka “Perkz” Perkovic and wunderkind Rasmus “Caps” Winther. They defeated Origen in the grand finals via a 3-0 stomp and only dropped one map during the playoff run.
So far during the LEC Summer Split, G2 are in second place behind Fnatic, who are currently undefeated.
The rebranding of the EULCS to the LEC, completed in 2019, is part of Riot’s pursuit to further differentiate the LEC from the NALCS. New logos, new sponsors, and a completely new brand helped push the LEC to one of its biggest years yet.
The Summer Split has reached European League of Legends’ highest viewership totals since 2015, helped in part by the region’s powerhouse teams. G2 took home first place in the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational and Fnatic reached the grand finals of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship.
Read Also
Esports Betting
Hanwha Life Esports vs T1: Best betting odds and picks for the LCK Road to MSI 2026 match
Hannan Mundia
After a long rest, Hanwha Life Esports and T1 will compete in the 2026 LCK Road to MSI’s third round to determine which team gets an instant pass to MSI. Both teams performed the best in the recent LCK split, resulting in them getting the best possible seeds for the Road to MSI. The winner of this match qualifies for MSI, while the loser get one more chance in the ...
Esports Betting
After a perfect split, C9 might lose LCS playoffs for the 8th time in a row
Ben Boland
After going 7-0 in the regular season, Cloud9 lost to LYON in the LCS Spring Split playoffs. Despite dominating through the entire split, they now sit in the loser’s bracket after a 3-0 loss. This wouldn’t be alarming for any other team. However, this is already the story of Cloud9’s last seven splits. C9 completed the regular season of the LCS Spring Split 2026 without dropping a single match. In ...
Esports Betting
The LEC’s viewership went down in 2026 despite a higher peak
Ben Boland
The LEC Spring Split 2026 has just concluded, with G2 Esports claiming the crown for the 19th time. Culminating in an epic five-game series against Karmine Corp, the LEC’s final match was watched by up to 562,000 people, higher than Spring 2025. Aside from that match though, the tournament’s viewership is down from last year. Let’s dive into it. The grand final of the 2026 Spring Split reached 562,322 concurrent ...
Esports Betting
Time magazine ranks Faker among the 100 most influential people in sports
Wasif Ahmed
Time magazine released its inaugural version of TIME100 Sports, a list of the 100 most influential figures in sports. The TIME100 Sports 2026 features legends of football, basketball, racing, and many other Olympic disciplines. Alongside them stands Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as the sole esports representative. The Unkillable Demon King is listed as one of the sports “icons” in 2026. In their description of the LCK legend, Time magazine called him ...
Esports Betting
Locke preview: LoL’s single new champion of 2026
Wasif Ahmed
League’s newest champion Locke will hit the Rift on June 24 alongside patch 26.13. As a mid lane AP assassin, the Ashen Exorcist is the only champion that Riot will release in 2026. The demon hunter will be unique for an assassin in that he has to set up his burst before delivering it. Read all about it in our Locke preview. The Ashen Exorcist is a demon-hunting melee, AP ...
Esports Betting
Top Esports beats Team WE in the LPL, qualifies for MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
Against all odds, Top Esports faced Team WE in the LPL upper bracket final. Both teams fought over a spot for the Mid-Season Invitational that everyone expected Anyone’s Legend, Bilibili Gaming, or JD Gaming to claim. In the end, TES paused WE’s Cinderella story as they beat them 3-0. Before this series, World Elite had defeated two LPL powerhouses in BLG and AL. Against TES, though, they suddenly lost all ...
League of Legends
G2 Esports complete comeback against Karmine Corp to win LEC Spring 2026
Hannan Mundia
After a fairly smooth split, G2 Esports emerged victorious in the 2026 LEC Spring split grand final by making a comeback against Karmine Corp. The 2026 LEC Spring split has finally concluded. With spots at MSI and the Esports World Cup on the line, every professional European team gave it their all to get as far as they could. While most teams fell quickly, Karmine Corp and G2 Esports managed ...
