League of Legends, the unbelievably popular free-to-play game that now outshines World of Warcraft in active players, saw over 8 million fans tune in to its season two world championship tournament.
The Taipei Assassins won the $1 million prize on October 13, and while 800 people enjoyed the action live in an impressive stadium, developer Riot Games reported that 8,282,000 unique viewers tuned in through other means. Multiple streams on the internet were being provided to hungry fans, while both China and Korea played the event on television.
That’s an extremely impressive number, and the highest viewership an eSports event has earned to date.
What do you think about these numbers? Can this style of sporting event make its mark in both the US and Europe? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below!