LoL breaks new viewership records with 2020 LEC Summer Split

William Davis Published 16/07/2020

The LEC registered a massive growth in viewership in the first half of the 2020 LEC Summer Split.

According to statistics shared by Riot Games, the first half of the LEC summer had 108% more hours watched, for a total of 13,454,941 hours. The LEC also registered its highest viewership peak ever in the regular season with 479,784 viewers.  On the content side, the LEC has over 1 million views across multiple platforms of its parody of Diplo’s “On My Mind” music video.

These numbers solidify the LEC as the most watched League of Legends competition in the west. By comparison, the LCS is having some of the lowest viewership numbers in the league’s history.

Why is the LEC broadcast better than the LCS?

At this point, it’s undeniable that the LEC is a superior product compared to the LCS in several aspects. Putting aside the competitive scene and the level of the competing teams, the LEC still has a lot going in its favor.

The LEC has likable casters and hosts that engage viewers on the league’s content, and this is a more diverse and lively group of talent than that which the LCS employs.  The talent team in the LEC doesn’t take itself too seriously, as they’re willing to laugh at both popular memes and themselves. In contrast, some fans find the LCS broadcast to either be overly serious or to be trying too hard to be funny.

The LEC understands its audience and delivers content that speaks directly to them. The LEC treats its comedy sketches with the same care as its educational segments.  When it comes to integrating a sponsor or partner into the broadcast, the LEC goes above and beyond to create ads that revolve directly around both the product and League of Legends. Yes, they might be selling blenders, but they have pro players getting in on the act and having fun with it.

It’s clear that the LEC knows its product and the league is not trying to be anything othre than what it is. It’s a silly, fun, and welcoming league, and most viewers would be hard press to assign those same descriptives to the current iteration of the LCS.

The LEC returns on July 17.

Read Also

Esports Betting

The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon? Ben Boland The LoL betting world is in for a treat this weekend as the LCS Summer Split regular season enters its final week. Everything is to play for, from the battle for first place to who starts life in the upper bracket. Esports betting sites are unsurprisingly covering the games extensively, and here my tips to bet on for each LCS match this weekend. This is a series that could go ...

League of Legends

LEC Playoffs Round 1 Betting Tips: G2 vs Vitality & Karmine Corp vs GIANTX Ben Boland The 2026 LEC Summer Playoffs are finally here in the world of LoL betting. After weeks of regular-season action, the battle to get to Worlds 2026 is heating up. Team Vitality, G2 Esports, GiantX, and Karmine Corp start their playoff run in the upper bracket. Both sets of matches have a lot of betting potential, with some decent value to be found. Here are some of the best bets to ...

League of Legends

Caps Hall of Legends skins prices and dates revealed Hannan Mundia Caps is the latest League of Legends player to be inducted into the Hall of Legends, and the LEC player’s dedicated skins have been revealed, including their prices and release dates. The Hall of Legends is Riot Games’ way to honor a handful of the most well-known and celebrated professional players associated with LoL. The first inductee was naturally Faker, while the second was Uzi. The third player is Caps, ...

League of Legends

Five Support Champions To Pick Up in LoL Patch 26.17 Ben Boland The support meta in League of Legends is one of the most highly discussed roles in the game right now. With Riot doubling down on the roaming support playstyle, we will likely see more champions added to the pool around the time of Worlds 2026, which begins on 15 October. At the time of writing this article, the current patch, 26.17, is being tested on the PBE, with the launch ...

League of Legends

These Are Five Top Lane Champions To Pick Up in League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland League of Legends patch 26.17 is just around the corner, and with that patch comes more changes to the role. The days of ADCs in the lane are starting to be a thing of the past, with more bruisers hitting the gym before the launch of 26.17. Many top laners are receiving buffs on the new patch, while powerhouses such as Nasus and Vayne are on the chopping block, making ...

League of Legends

Here Is What To Expect From the League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland It’s less than a week until the release of League of Legends Patch 26.17, and with this patch comes some significant nerfs to popular champions, item adjustments, and targeting roaming supports as mage bottom lanes dominate the meta. While there is plenty to unpack in this week's patch from Riot Games, two champions, Vayne and Xerath, have received the biggest nerfs across the board. Here are some of the biggest ...

League of Legends

Trade on LGD vs Bilibili Gaming at Polymarket — Use Promo Code WINGGPREMAR Ben Boland Bilibili Gaming comes into their best-of-three series against LGD Gaming as the overwhelming favorites, with Polymarket traders giving the MSI finalists an 83% implied probability of winning at the time of writing this article. The prediction market doesn’t give LGD much of a chance at all, and with traders backing BLG heavily, it paints a picture of who is most likely to win this series in the LPL Split 3, ...