After an active and exciting free agency period, North American League of Legends fans are eagerly anticipating the upcoming LCS season. However, concerns have arisen amongst supporters following Riot Games’ announcement of controversial schedule changes. One player who has voiced his worries is Doublelift, the superstar AD carry for 100 Thieves.
During a recent stream, Doublelift expressed concerns about the impact of moving broadcast hours to Thursday and Friday at midday on viewership. He questioned whether a significant drop in viewership would prompt the LCS managerial staff to reconsider the schedule change, or if they would have to endure the consequences for an entire year or split.
One of Doublelift’s fans also pointed out that even if the league were to revert the changes, it would be challenging to return to the original format due to the new NA VALORANT broadcast taking over the weekend spot at the Riot Games Arena.
With Riot’s focus shifting to VALORANT and the LEC adopting a different schedule to avoid overlap on weekends, accommodating the LCS in the event of a viewership decline will require significant adjustments. This means that if viewership numbers struggle in North America, the LCS will have to navigate the drops until the end of the season.
Doublelift expressed his dissatisfaction with the plan, stating that Riot is convinced it will be beneficial for the LCS to the point where there is no room for reversal. In the worst-case scenario, the LCS could face a whole year of -30 to 50 percent viewership, which would negatively impact sponsorships, funding, and the sale of LCS spots to potential investors.
The 2023 LCS Spring Split is set to start on January 26.
LCS, League of Legends, Riot Games, Doublelift, esports, schedule changes, viewership, NA VALORANT, LEC, sponsorships, funding, LCS spot