The 2025 World Championship (Worlds) concluded with T1 making history by securing their third consecutive championship title. For the first time in five years, the most prestigious League of Legends (LoL) esports tournament returned to China with games played in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.

This article breaks down the Worlds 2025 viewership statistics alongside comparisons to other popular esports tournaments. 

Editor’s Note: All referenced statistics are courtesy of Esports Charts. The statistics in this article exclude viewership from Chinese-exclusive platforms such as Bilibili, Huya, and DouYu.

What Was The League Of Legends Worlds 2025 Viewership?

LoL Worlds 2025 obtained a peak viewership of 6,752,585 viewers during the Grand Final between T1 and KT Rolster. This makes it the second most-viewed esports event of all time, narrowly trailing Worlds 2024, which recorded a peak of 6,856,769 viewers.

The tournament recorded a total of 136,433,306 hours watched, with an average concurrent viewer count of 1,534,999 across nearly 90 hours of airtime. The table below shows the peak viewership at each of the different tournament stages.

T1 Dominates Viewership At Worlds 2025

T1 dominated Worlds 2025 viewership figures—and it’s no surprise. The now six-time world champions boast one of the largest fanbases and consistently deliver some of the most memorable plays, thanks to their masterclass gameplay and roster of iconic players.

Beyond that, the addition of Fearless Draft definitely helped in spicing things up and keeping viewers engaged, and not to mention KT Rolster’s huge upset against Gen.G in the Semifinal, which was the fourth-most viewed match at Worlds 2025.

KT Rolster & Invictus Gaming Surprise Fans

Almost no one expected KT Rolster to make a deep run (they ranked 5th in our Worlds 2025 power rankings), but the underdogs defied the odds. Their consistent outdrafting of Gen.G and unwavering resilience drew viewers in as the team pushed all the way to the Grand Final.

Surprisingly, Invictus Gaming were the third most-watched team, despite only playing four games in total. Even so, the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) fourth seed managed to build a sizable average viewership at Worlds 2025.

This was primarily due to their matchup against Korean powerhouse T1 in the Play-In stage, which saw the long-awaited showdown between Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and Song “Rookie” Eui-jin, two of the greatest mid laners in LoL history.

Worlds 2025 vs. Worlds 2024: Viewership Comparison

Worlds 2024 outperformed Worlds 2025 in every category, but mostly marginally. Peak viewership dropped from 6,856,769 to 6,752,585, representing a 1.52% decrease, while the average number of concurrent viewers saw a steeper decline from 1,731,157 to 1,534,999 (-11.33% year over year).

However, this can be attributed to the Worlds 2024 Play-In stage having 10 matches compared to Worlds 2025’s single best-of-five series. T1 dominated viewership records at Worlds in 2025 and 2024, but the total hours watched dipped significantly, reflecting a more substantial 28.3% decrease.

Here is a quick comparison of the viewership statistics at Worlds 2025 and Worlds 2024:

How Does Worlds 2025 Compare With Other Esports Tournaments?

Worlds has long been regarded as the pinnacle of esports, thanks to the incredible hype and immense viewership it generates each year—and most other esports titles, including Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and VALORANT, pale in comparison.

For example, The International 2025 peaked at 1,785,132 viewers, while VALORANT Champions 2025 only attracted 1,473,642 viewers. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, backed by its enormous Indonesian player base, was the only title that came remotely close to matching the Worlds 2025 peak viewership.

Why Does Worlds Dominate Viewership Statistics?

A major reason for Worlds consistently having high viewership is the extensive promotion that Riot Games conducts every year. The yearly anthem, paired with highly popular teams (like T1, G2 Esports, and Gen.G) being regular attendees, gives Worlds a massive edge over its competitors.

However, this number could drop if teams like T1 fail to qualify for the event. Even then, it is a safe bet that Worlds will remain one of the most-viewed esports events. Here is a quick comparison of Worlds 2025’s viewership against other esports tournaments in 2025:

Can Worlds 2026 Compete With Worlds 2025’s Viewership?

Worlds 2026 will return to North America for the first time since 2022, when DRX delivered what was arguably the greatest underdog run in esports history. That alone cemented it as one of the most memorable editions of Worlds ever.

However, hosting the event in North America comes with a familiar challenge: unfavorable broadcast times for the huge Asian audience that drives a large portion of LoL esports viewership. China, in particular, contributes significantly to peak and average audience numbers.

With a challenging schedule for Chinese viewers, it remains to be seen whether Worlds 2026 can maintain the 6–7 million viewership figures set by Worlds in 2024 and 2025. In the end, if popular teams like T1 qualify, it will almost certainly be the most-viewed tournament of the year—just like its predecessors.

FAQs

How many people watched League of Legends Worlds 2025?

Worlds 2025 reached a peak viewership of 6,752,585 during the Grand Final match between T1 and KT Rolster. However, the tournament’s average concurrent viewership settled at 1,534,999.

What is the highest viewership record for League of Legends Worlds?

The all-time peak was set at Worlds 2024, when the event reached 6,856,769 viewers during the T1 vs. Bilibili Gaming Grand Final.

Which team had the most viewership at Worlds 2025?

T1 were the most-watched team at Worlds 2025, leading in both peak and average viewership.

Is League of Legends still the most-watched esport in 2025?

Yes. League of Legends comfortably remained the most-watched esports title in 2025, anchored by Worlds 2025 and Mid-Season Invitational 2025 viewership.

How is League of Legends Worlds viewership measured across platforms?

Viewership is aggregated from official broadcast partners and streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch. Third-party analytics sites compile these numbers by tracking concurrent viewers across all official streams.

References

1. 2025 World Championship [Worlds 2025] / Statistics (Esports Charts)