LoL: LCK Cup’s peak viewership is nearly 3.5 times higher than that of the second most-watched competition this winter

One tournament has drawn significantly more attention than any other at the start of the 2025 League of Legends season. According to Esports Charts data—which excludes LPL figures—the LCK Cup’s peak viewership is nearly 3.5 times higher than that of the second most-watched competition this winter. The Korean championship reached a peak of 1,907,634 viewers during the Round 1 playoff match between Hanwha Life Esports and T1, in which HLE eliminated the two-time reigning world champions after a thrilling BO5 showdown.

This match also marked the first encounter between the two teams since the toplaner swap, with Choi "Zeus" Woo-je joining HLE and Choi "Doran" Hyeon-jun now playing for T1. According to Esports Charts, this also makes the LCK Cup the second most-watched tournament in the history of the championship, surpassed only by the Spring Split 2024.

Trailing behind, the LEC upper bracket final between G2 Esports and Karmine Corp attracted a peak of "only" 595,983 viewers. While this number remains subject to change as the split is still ongoing, it already far exceeds the peak viewership of the LTA Cross Conference. The American league completes the podium with a peak of 291,301 viewers, reached during Cloud9’s quarterfinal victory over LOUD. Meanwhile, the LPC recorded its Split 1 peak viewership at 261,090 during the semifinal between Vikings Esports and CTBC Flying Oyster.

When examined separately, however, the two American regions fall even further down the rankings. LTA South reached a peak of 254,464 viewers during the match between paiN Gaming and LOUD, while LTA North lagged with just 149,876 viewers for the showdown between FlyQuest and Shopify Rebellion. In fact, LTAN’s Split 1 peak was lower than that of the NLC. The arrival of several former LEC figures in the Nordic league has fueled considerable excitement, culminating in a peak of 214,508 viewers for the upper bracket final between NORD Esports and Los Ratones, the team led by Marc “Caedrel” Lamont and featuring Martin "Rekkles" Larsson.

This figure, too, remains subject to change, as the Nordic league’s grand final, featuring Los Ratones, is set to take place on March 2. Historically the most followed ERL—largely due to Karmine Corp’s presence—the LFL has not yet cracked the top rankings. The French league reached peak viewership figures of 234,102 in Spring 2024 and 135,508 in Summer 2024, but has so far only peaked at 111,156 during the group stage match between KC and Gentle Mates. As with the LEC and NLC, these numbers could still rise, as two matches remain, including the grand final, which will feature Karmine.