IEM Melbourne 2025 delivered not only one of the most thrilling
Counter-Strike finals in recent memory but also historic numbers in terms of viewership. According to
Esports Charts, the grand final between Team Vitality and Team Falcons peaked at an impressive 1.25 million viewers, making it the second most-watched non-Major
CS tournament ever. Only IEM Katowice 2025, where
Vitality also lifted the trophy after defeating Team Falcons, recorded a higher peak with 1.25 million.
Despite the event taking place in Australia, the scheduling turned out to be favorable for European audiences, who could tune in during their evening hours. However, it came at the cost of North American viewership, as matches ran into the early morning across the Atlantic.
Even so, IEM Melbourne managed to surpass the peak numbers of several past Majors, including FACEIT London 2018, IEM Katowice 2019, and PGL Krakow 2017—an achievement that underscores just how captivating the Vitality-Falcons showdown turned out to be.
The combination of a dramatic comeback on Nuke, triple overtime tension, and the stakes of an ESL Grand Slam title for Vitality created the perfect storm for a massive audience. IEM Melbourne 2025 is already cemented as one of the most iconic and widely watched events in
Counter-Strike history outside the Majors.
