OG Claims Victory in The International 8 with Record-Breaking Prize Pool
OG emerged triumphant in The International 8, securing the Aegis of Champions and a grand prize of $11,234,158—a record-breaking amount. The thrilling five-game grand finals series against PSG.LGD captivated nearly 15 million viewers, with a peak of 14,960,473 at 10:05pm CT on Saturday, according to Esports Charts.
Chinese Viewers Dominate Viewer Count
The majority of viewers were Chinese, which comes as no surprise considering PSG.LGD’s lineup is comprised mostly of Chinese players and LGD Gaming is based in China.
Chinese Viewership Numbers Not Without Controversy
Some have doubted the accuracy of Chinese viewership numbers, claiming they were inflated. However, it is highly likely that many Chinese fans watched The International 8 to support their homegrown teams.
Chinese Teams Draw High Interest
Similar to last year’s tournament, when Chinese team Newbee made it to the grand finals, Chinese viewers showed immense interest when a Chinese team, PSG.LGD, played. Out of the top five most viewed matches, PSG.LGD participated in four of them.
Despite the debate over Chinese viewership numbers, overall viewership for The International 8 increased compared to last year. Esports Charts reported higher peak viewership, average viewership, and total hours watched for TI8 compared to TI7, even without accounting for Chinese viewers.
Dota 2 continues to capture the interest of fans, with more viewers tuning in to watch its events, despite the game’s player base not reaching its peak.
OG, The International 8, prize pool, esports, grand finals, Dota 2, PSG.LGD, Aegis of Champions, Chinese viewership