Riot Games has positioned the VCT LOCK//IN tournament in São Paulo as an event for the fans, and so far, fans have been tuning in eagerly to watch the opening matches.
According to data from Esports Charts, the viewership for the tournament reached its peak on the first day with 538,000 viewers during the KOI vs. NRG opener. On the second day, viewership reached its peak at 467,000 during the Karmine Corp vs. FPX match.
These numbers show that VCT LOCK//IN has higher viewership on its opening day compared to both VCT Masters Reykjavík and Masters Copenhagen. In Reykjavík, the first day peaked at 514,000 viewers during the DRX vs. ZETA DIVISION match, and the second day peaked at 392,000 viewers during Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Fnatic. In Copenhagen, the first day peaked at 438,000 viewers during LOUD vs. KRÜ Esports.
While the viewership on the first and second day may not reach the same level as Champions 2022, it’s important to note that this is an early tournament in the year and not expected to compete with a world championship in terms of viewership. However, it’s encouraging to see that the viewership for the first international VALORANT event of the year is growing.
It’s worth mentioning that Champions 2022 set high standards for viewership in professional VALORANT, achieving impressive highs in total viewership and peak viewership. As the stakes increase in the later rounds of VCT LOCK//IN and the broadcast days move to the always optimal weekend, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 2023 kickoff event competing with Champions 2022 in terms of viewership.