LEC viewership sees 35% growth from last year’s spring split

William Davis Published 13/04/2021

With the conclusion of the 2021 LEC Spring Split, the viewership of the league has once again set a completely new standard for European League of Legends. 

The LEC viewership keeps growing after the 2021 spring split, with an increase of around 35% in the average viewership compared to the 2020 LEC Spring Split. This growth is yet another example of how the popularity around competitive League of Legends isn’t slowing down and that the European broadcast continues to bring quality content for the viewers.

For the grand final between MAD Lions and Rogue, the viewership also reached a higher peak than the final a year ago between G2 Esports and Fnatic. 

According to Esports Charts, the peak viewership in the recent final was at a whopping 831,000 viewers across Twitch channels and YouTube. This is around 14,000 viewers more than the 2020 spring final, where the match reached a peak of 817,000 viewers. These numbers were still impressive at the time, especially for a 3-0 series that G2 won, but the 2021 numbers are looking very much improved. 

What makes the 2021 spring viewership even more impressive is the fact that neither G2 nor Fnatic were represented in the final. Both top teams were knocked out earlier during the playoffs, letting two new teams compete for the coveted trophy. The absence of the two LEC giants had fans worried if the viewership would see a hit, but the five-game thriller between MAD Lions and Rogue exceeded all expectations. The final was the first since 2019 going to all five games and had viewers bite their nails all the way through. 

With MAD Lions taking the trophy, a new era in LEC might be about to start. This will make the storylines for the 2021 LEC Summer Split even more intense with MAD Lions and Rogue fighting to stay on top consistently. At the same time, G2 and Fnatic will likely do everything in their power to reclaim the throne. 

The competitive and broadcast level of the LEC seems to keep reaching new peaks, so expect even more record-breaking numbers in the splits to come. 

Who is participating in the LEC 2021? 

The LEC consists of the 10 best European League of Legends teams. All teams in the league own their spot in the league, which means that there isn’t any promotion tournament for the league anymore. 

The 2021 LEC teams are: 

• MAD Lions
• Rogue
• G2 Esports
• Fnatic
• SK Gaming
• Schalke 04
• Excel Esports
• Vitality
• Misfits
• Astralis

Who won the LEC 2021?

The first LEC split of 2021 was recently won by MAD Lions after an intense final against Rogue. This is the first time MAD Lions wins a LEC trophy, which will also reward the team with a spot at the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational in May. 

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