SKT’s victory over Fnatic yesterday was watched by over two million League fans. This viewership almost matched the number of viewers for last year’s Fnatic vs. Invictus Gaming Worlds finals. SKT’s thrilling win over Royal Never Give Up today came close to breaking the finals viewership record, with only 15,000 viewers less.
According to Esports Charts, this game is only surpassed in viewership by the 2017 and 2018 finals. And this is just the first game of the second day of Worlds 2019.
Riot’s scheduling has been impressive this tournament by placing the SKT game at the start of the day twice, ensuring maximum viewership for League’s most popular team. However, since RNG is China’s most beloved League team, the Chinese audience will far outnumber the English-speaking viewers.
The G2 Esports and Griffin game later today will also be a huge draw. G2 Esports, Europe’s most hyped team, is on track for a clean sweep and a Worlds victory. On the other hand, Griffin, LCK’s talented team, finally makes their Worlds debut this year after playing second fiddle to SKT.
The excitement is real if G2 can make a statement and become the second European team to win a World Championship. Griffin has been labeled as chokers, but if they can overcome the pressure, they have a chance to go deep in this tournament. Regardless of the result, this game will attract a large audience.