The 2024 League of Legends World Championship is approaching the playoff stage, having already broken Swiss stage viewership records. The event has drawn large global audiences, with fans captivated by exciting matches featuring top teams from various regions. Esports Charts has gathered data to highlight which audiences are generating the most buzz, and when.
A significant factor behind these record-setting numbers has been the popularity of regional teams, with some drawing millions of viewers as their region’s leading representatives, regardless of their performance.
Most Popular Teams in the Group Stage
T1 emerged as the most-watched team during the group stage, averaging 2.11 million viewers per game. Despite qualifying for Worlds 2024 by a narrow margin, T1’s enduring fame kept them a fan favorite. They qualified for the playoffs with a 3-1 score after rebounding from an initial loss, finishing alongside Hanwha Life Esports and behind Gen.G, who had a perfect 3-0 record with 1.76 million viewers.
G2 Esports was the second most popular team, though their journey ended in the group stage with a 2-3 record. Despite this, matches against top teams like T1 and Bilibili Gaming kept them in the spotlight. Although Chinese viewership data isn’t fully available, Bilibili Gaming also gained significant attention through its matches with G2 and T1, as well as their strong competitive performance.
North American and European teams, aside from G2, generally ranked lower in popularity compared to teams from Brazil, Vietnam, and the Pacific. With viewership shifting toward these emerging regions, Riot Games’ new 2025 regional circuits for the Americas are expected to aid in North America’s recovery.
Most Exciting Moments Before Playoffs
Esports Charts also tracked fan engagement through Twitch chat, where the draw for the second day of the Swiss Stage spiked with 44.4K peak messages, largely due to a production error that stirred fan criticism. G2 Esports’ elimination by Bilibili Gaming was another highly-watched moment, as the European team was taken out after a fierce three-game series.
T1’s matches were a major draw for fans worldwide, even though Twitch is less prevalent among Korean audiences. Additionally, paiN Gaming’s play-in stage decider match against Rainbow7 ignited passionate support from Latin American and Brazilian fans, resulting in 31.3K peak messages on Twitch.
The playoff matches begin on October 17, with highly anticipated matchups, including T1 facing Top Esports on October 19, expected to draw significant viewership.
Adrian Kovacs 
Lex Northbyte